The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-02-09

broken shore line and submerged lands
have prevented the opening of high
ways and limited agricultural devel-
opment. Large areas are occupied
only by fishing villages and by hunt
ing clubs in Maryland, Virginia, North
and South Carolina, Louisiana, and
Texas.
One chronicler records that at the
time of his first visits to eastern Can
ada, in 1906 and 1907, the amazing
numbers of caribou in Newfoundland
and their annual migration across the
island each fall were recognized as
one of the marvels of American wild
life. At the same time the moose of
New Brunswick were extraordinarily
abundant.
Although this region had long been
accessible with comparative ease, yet
Its unsuitability to agricultural devel-
opment had left vast areas so sparse
ly occupied that they remained true
wildernesses.
The coming of the World war brought
period of intensive pursuit of big
game In all this region for it's meat
value. This slaughter of moose, and
especially caribou, dangerously low
cred their numbers. Probably the mi
gratory herds of caribou will never
again troop across the barrens of New
foundland in anything like their for
mer numbers.
With wellenforced protection, how
ever, caribou in Newfoundland and
moose in New Brunswick and Maine
may be maintained in fair abundance.
Caribou appear to be going forever
from Maine, New Brunswick, and
Nova Scotia, the white-tailed deer hav-
ing taken their place in many districts.
The deer continue to extend their
range.
Protected by Treaty.
At the present time 1t would seem
that the shore birds have returned in
large numbers along the eastern coast
since the migratory bird treaty became
effective, and while many of the spe-
cies go into Mexico, and even South
America, to winter, most of them are
too small to attract the pot-hunters
of those regions.
The great flights of geese, swans,
and ducks that annually sweep south
and southeasterly in the fall through
the eastern states and along the At
lantic coast mainly cOngregate in and
about Chesapeake bay and Currituck
sound, N. c. Many of these birds,
however, remain about Long Island
sound and Barnegat bay until the COM
ing of severe weather, when most of
them also move down the coast.
Georgia and Florida, having few
shallow fresh-water bays and little
wild-fowl food along the Atlantic coast,
form a rather marked area of almost
complete separation between these two
groups of migrants which winter along
the Atlantic coast and those of the
Gulf; the Atlantic geese and swans
in particular not usually being found
farther south than the Carolinas
Currituck sound is an ideal home
for wild fowl during the winter
months. 1t is shallow, surrounded by
marshes, bays, and ponds of almost
entirely fresh water in which various
kinds of excellent wildfowl food
plants abound. Fish, shellfish. and
crustaceans are also plentiful.
On its deeper and more open waters
are thousands of canvasbacks, numer-
GUS redheads, scaups, and golden-eyes,
while In the shallow bays and con-
Meeting ponds are to be found great
numbers of marsh ducks, such as black
duck, mallard. widgeon, pintails, and
teal, which usually assemble in small
er fiocks than species frequenting deep
water.
One of the most interesting birds on
the Currituck is the whistling swan
The local estimates of these birds
vary from total of fifty thousand to
nearly one hundred thousand birds.
Although the swans are undoubtedly
very numerous, yet these estimates
sare no doubt far too high. AS mat
ter OF fact, they probably do not reach
the lowest number given. Fifteen or
twenty years ago, in this region.
through overshooting. the swans were
becoming dangerously reduced In num-
bers.
While this swan is found on the
Chesapeake and other neighboring wa
tiers, the main concentration is In Cur
rituck sound.
The increasing number Of swans IN
der rigid protection presents difficult
problem. for If the local minimum fig-
ure of fifty thousand is accepted. this
means approximately twenty thousand
breeding pairs. AS each breeding
couple produces from two to four
young, it seems certain that, figuring
on nonbreeding birds and every form
Of casualty. the young swans, known
as cygnets. would probably amount to
more than ten thousand yearly.