146 GAME AND ITS PROTECTION. 



community have done more to repress this wanton- 

 ness of destruction than the Sportsmen's Clubs. It 

 was at their request that the killing of song-birds 

 was prohibited altogether; and they are the most 

 earnest to restrict the times of lawful sport to such 

 periods as will not, by any possibility, permit its 

 being followed during the season of incubation. 



ISTot alone by obtaining the passage of appropriate 

 laws and their vigorous enforcement, have these 

 clubs effected a great reform ; but by their personal 

 example and social influence, often, too, at consider- 

 able loss to themselves. For while the poacher, 

 taking the chance of a legal conviction as an acci- 

 dent of business, and but a slight reduction of his 

 unlawful profits, anticipates the appointed time, true 

 sportsmen, restrained by a feeling of honor and self- 

 respect, although they know that the birds are being 

 killed daily in defiance of the statute, wait till the 

 lawful day arrives, and thus often, especially in 

 woodcock shooting, sacrifice their entire season's 

 sport for a principle. 



This honorable spirit, if encouraged and extended, 

 is the best protection for song-birds and game that 

 can be had. The laws are only necessary to deter 

 those who are dead to honor and decency, and to 

 fix the proper times — which ought to be uniform 

 throughout our entire country. But to enforce them 

 requires the assistance of public opinion. Every 

 encouragement should be given to sportsmen's asso- 

 ciations. The absurd prejudice that has originated 

 from confoimding them with a very different class 



