The Audubon Societies
beneficial laws and theirenlorcement. This same legislative body at the request oi a few selfisth interested sportsmen repealed the law of I90]. stopping the spring shoot- ing of Shore Birds or Snipe. The bill was so ingeniously drawn that tltese birds may be shot whenever they can be found in the state. the close season being to arranged that it Covers the period when the birds are not found in the state, Governor Murphy approved the hill. notwithstanding the fact that its retrograde and harmful character was pointed out to him by well-known urnithologi s. His act was one more nail in the collin of this class of birds. which are rapidly disappearing. owing to the wasteful and sinful practice of shooting them while on their migration to the breeding-gmundsx
Vir i is also took a retrograde step by repealing the law of toot. giving protection to the Hawks and Owl. these unfortunate but entirely beneficial birds were placed in the excepted classr
The legislature also added tothe excepted birds Wilson‘s Snipe and the Knot. com- monly known as the Robin-snipe. An at- tempt was made to exempt all of the Bay Birds or stripe trorn protection. but a few of the legislators who have always shown a very decided and intelligent interest in the preservation of the hirds oi their common» wealth made so strenuous a fight that the law protecting Snipe in the spring oi the year was not repealed except so lot as it applied to Wilson's and the Robin-snipe.
The model law was introduced in the legislature of Iowa, but it was not adopted. although the secretary of the Sehaller So. ciety. Miss Hamand. spent three weeks at the Capitol at the request of the National Committee. endeavoting to have this bill and an anti-pigeon shooting bill passed. The committee to whom the model law bill was referred reported adversely upon it on the ground that the bill was too drastic. it is a singular commentary on the intelligence of a committee that it can report a bill as too drastic that is drawn solely in the in- terest of agriculture; a political bill might be considered too drasti but a bill for the preservation of birds. which are the greatest check nature provides for keeping down the
to7
myriads of insect pests that are always work- ing against the interests of the farmer. cnnv not be made too strong; it is a case where men are called upon to act on a matter they know nothing of and are either too careless or indifierent. or give too little time intelli- gently to study the subject themselves, anti who. tor some reason. are unwilling to ac~ cept the statements made by scientists who are competent to give them expert advice.
Fottttnately the anti.pigeon shooting bill was passed, so that Iowa now has stopped tnis barbarous sport. and has thus removed a stain ltom her good ntnte.
In Ohio. the mass or c tit-n5 sluotl idlyliy and let a handful of the lowest class of sportsmen insist upon the passage of a hill removing protection from a bird as abso-
Iulely beneficial as the Dove The legis- lator who introduced this hill crime from Darke cottnty. What a happy coincidence between the name of the county and this legislation : Darke, dark—either way you spell the word the significance to the same.
The inlroductr of the hill stated that he had no apology to ofler. and that he could see no reason why Ihe state of Ohio should latten Doves that the people in the South might shoot them in the fall. This shows the importance of a uniform and strong sen- timent throughout the whole country for the protection of non-game birds: it also illus« trates very forciny the influence that the action of the citizens of one state have over those of another stater
It is sincerely hoped that the better class of sportsmen in Ohio were not a party to this legislation and will not participate in the wasteful practice of killing as harmless. innocent and valuable a bird as Ihe Dove.
Unfortunater ten days were added to the open season for shooting wild towl in the spring; this is a backward step. much to he regretted. and not at all in line with the best sentiment of the present time. A hill permitting the trapping and caging of Car- dinals was also introduced. but was lortu- nalely tleioatetl. although only by the nar- row margin of two votes.
in hliss’iasippi the model law was adopted. and that commonwealth now has the honor of having joined those states that are taking
