Steps have been taken under the direction of the New York zoölogical
society to ascertain, as nearly as possible, to what extent the
destruction of bird life has been carried in this country and the
result of the investigation is given in its second annual report,
recently published. Replies to questions on the subject were received
from over two hundred competent observers in the different states
and territories, and the following table is believed to give a fair,
certainly not exaggerated, idea of the loss of bird life within the
past decade and a half.
The following are the percentages of decrease throughout the states
mentioned, during the last fifteen years, according to the reports:
Maine 52 per cent.
New Hampshire 32 per cent.
Vermont 30 per cent.
Massachusetts 27 per cent.
Rhode Island 60 per cent.
Connecticut 75 per cent.
New York 48 per cent.
New Jersey 37 per cent.
Pennsylvania 51 per cent.
Ohio 38 per cent.
Indiana 60 per cent.
Illinois 38 per cent.
Michigan 28 per cent.
Wisconsin 40 per cent.
Iowa 37 per cent.
Missouri 36 per cent.
Nebraska 10 per cent.
North Dakota 58 per cent.
District of Columbia 33 per cent.
South Carolina 32 per cent.
Georgia 65 per cent.
Florida 77 per cent.
Mississippi 37 per cent.
Louisiana 55 per cent.
Texas 67 per cent.
Arkansas 50 per cent.
Montana 75 per cent.
Idaho 40 per cent.
Colorado 28 per cent.
Indian Territory 75 per cent.
General Average 46 per cent.
At least three-fifths of the total area of the United States is
represented by the thirty states and territories above named, and the
general average of decrease of bird life therein is 46 per cent. These
figures are startling indeed and should arouse everyone to the gravity
of the situation which confronts us. It requires but little calculation
to show that if the volume of bird life has suffered a loss of 46 per
cent. within fifteen years, at this rate of destruction practically all
birds will be exterminated in less than a score of years from now.