TRANSACTIONS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ILL. 245 



tering birds by the thousands, and frightening off the remainder, that this 

 thing must stop. I think it is time our Legislators should learn and feel 

 that it is of more importance to protect the horticultural and farming 

 interests of our great Prairie State, than to legislate, regardless of this, 

 to gratify the whims of a few sportsmen and idle boys, who could be 

 much more usefully employed than running about the country killing 

 quails and other useful birds. Already a bill has been introduced into 

 the present Legislature, in this sporting interest, to shorten the prohibit- 

 ing season, and give the shot-gun a better chance to destroy your feathered 

 friends. I sought the author and pleaded with him in your behalf, and 

 protested against it, and I now plead with you to come forward in your 

 own behalf and plead your own cause. 



Recurring again for a moment to the importance of the test proposed, 

 allow me to add, that while the examination of the crops of birds is of 

 the utmost importance, it can never be decisive in this question until the 

 examination extends throughout the entire season, in the case of each 

 and every bird. This will require an immense amount of labor, and 

 many years before it can be accomplished. And, moreover, if it is not 

 used with care, it may induce us to give a character to a bird exactly 

 the opposite of what is true. There are certain seasons of the year when 

 insects are scarce, during which time birds which are eminently insectiv- 

 orous are compelled to resort to vegetable diet ; if examined at this time 

 the verdict would be unfavorable. Many species eat largely of the eggs 

 of insects, yet this will seldom be detected by an examination of the 

 crop. 



But while we are waiting for scientists to make these examinations, 

 we can, if the amendment mentioned is passed, make an experiment 

 which all may observe and understand. If birds are not allowed to be 

 killed in a certain county, and the insects appear to decrease, while in a 

 neighboring county they are killed, and the insects increase, there is a 

 plain matter of fact evidence which amounts to a demonstration. 



It is not a wholly new experiment. The governments of several of 

 the German States have issued ordinances to prevent the indiscriminate 

 slaughter of singing birds ; this good example has been set by Hesse, 

 Baden, Wurtemberg and Prussia. In Saxony, a fine is imposed for cap- 

 turing a nightingale, and a tax on every bird kept in a cage ; but this 

 law, imperfect and incomplete as it is, does not exist in the Saxon duchies 

 nor the forests of Thuringia, where, in every village, no inhabitant is 

 without his songster, and some have as many as thirty or forty different 

 sorts. The result already experienced in the latter is, that the songsters 

 are getting scarce and insects numerous. We are also informed that 

 many sensible men of Germany, such as Lenz, of Schrepfenthal ; Glozer, 

 of Berlin ; Schott de Scottenstein, of Ulm, etc., have zealously employed 

 their talents for the protection of the small birds, and have further advo- 

 cated attention to their increase. 



With all these facts before our horticulturists, it appears somewhat 

 strange to me that there has not been more individual experimenting. 

 It does seem to me that it would be well for some of our large orchardists 



