234 Bird- Lore and their hours of leisure are employed in roaming about the country near their camps shooting every bird that they see. One can hardly read a daily paper and not find in it an account of the arrest and conviction of some of these alien marauders. The officers who make these arrests are often in great danger. Not long since, in Pennsylvania, two deputy game officers were brutally killed by aliens whom they were attempting to arrest for violation of the game laws, and in Wisconsin during the past summer a like trag- edy took place. Recently a series of complaints came from Rock- land county, New York, of a gang of Italians who were working in the stone-crushers there and who made Sunday a day of unrest for the citizens in that locality. This Association was asked to detail officers to arrest the offenders. It was suggested that two had better be sent, as the men were desperate characters and one officer might be in danger if he went alone. The suggestion happily was followed, for, while attempting to arrest an Italian who was seen to shoot a Towhee and a Waxwing, the man deliberately shot at one of the officers, but fortunately did not hit him ; and before he could shoot the second time he was overpowered. A handcuff was placed on one of his wrists, and while he was being led away to the jail he managed, with his free hand, to extract from his pocket a long-bladed knife, which he tried to use on the officer who had him in charge. In several states special laws have been enacted in order to control alien hunters. In Massachusetts they cannot hunt unless they carry a license, which costs them fifteen dollars per year and gives them the privilege of shooting game only in the open sea- son. In New York the law specifically provides that aliens cannot procure a license and, in consequence, they cannot carry firearms or shoot game at any time. Either, or both of the laws mentioned, if rigidly enforced, would do much to curtail the harm done by the alien hunter, but neither of them is drastic enough. It would be far more effective to have Knife drawn a j aw making every alien who desires to hunt procure a license on a National Association giving him such privilege, for which he must pay $25. The license warden gh^i^ not De j n force longer than December 31 of the year issued, and it must be on the person of the hunter whenever he carries a gun in public. Should he violate the game law by shooting in the closed sea- son, or by killing any bird or animal for which there is no open season, his license should be forfeited, his gun should be confiscated, and he should also be liable for the penalties provided in the game law for a vio- lation by a citizen. Should an alien resist arrest or attempt to murder a game warden, imprisonment should be added to the other penalties. A
