No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 359 



The reduction of the number of Quail by severe weather during 

 the past two years has been quite perceptible. The Quail is one of 

 our most valuable insectivorous birds, being destructive to potato 

 beetles, grass-hoppers and other obnoxious insects. It is also an 

 important destroyer of weed seeds. For this reason we earnestly 

 recommend the endorsement of legislation proposed by our State 

 Grange at its last Annual Meeting, calling for a closed season of 

 five years for the Quail or Bob White. 



Concerning the Game Laws of the State of Pennsylvania we 

 should offer a paragraph: 



The law at present provides bounties upon certain animals as 

 follows: For each wildcat, four dollars; for each fox, two dollars; 

 for each weasel and mink, one dollar. 



We agree with the publications of the Biological Bureau of the 

 U. S, Department of Agriculture, to the effect that bounties are not 

 justifiable, cost too much, and do not bring the desired results. If 

 creatures are sufficiently obnoxious to demand the efforts of man- 

 kind in exterminating them this will be done, bounty or no bounty. 



All species of birds are protected by law in this State at all times 

 excepting the Bluejay, English Sparrow, European Starling, the 

 Kingfisher, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Goshawk, Duck 

 Hawk, Pigeon Hawk, Great Horned Ov.i, Barred Owl, the Crow and 

 the Raven, and the game birds which are to be shot only during their 

 respective open seasons, and which are named by our State law 

 as the Quail, Rutfed Grouse, Prairie Chicken, Imported Pheasant, 

 Wild Turkey, Wild Pigeon, Dove, Reed Bird, Rail, Blackbird, Sand- 

 piper, Tatler, Curlew or any Shorebird, Wilson Snipe (Jack Snipe), 

 Upland or Grass Plover, Coot or Mud Hen, ,and Water Fowl know^n 

 as Duck, Goose, Brant, S^\'an and Grebe. We can not see the justifi- 

 cation in having the Dove, Blackbird, Coot or Mud Hen and Grebe 

 upon the list of game birds, as the first named is the only one that 

 is edible, and the others would be shot only for useless ''sport." 

 The law provides, fortunately, for an absolutely closed period upon 

 the Wild Pigeon until April 22, 1915. How^ever, it is our opinion 

 that at that date it will be found, unfortunately, that there will be 

 none of these very interesting birds in our State. 



The Audobon Society is growing stronger both in Pennsylvania 

 and in the United States and is doing good work in bird protection 

 and in creating and maintaining public sentiment in this regard. 

 In the Report for Pennsylvania by the State Secretary, Miss E. W. 

 Fisher, which was published in "Bird Lore," Volume IX, No. 6, for 

 November and December, 1907, is the following: 



" * * * The business of reorganizing the Society on this perma- 

 nent basis represented most of the 'new work' done this spring, but 

 the old activities were still kept up. Twelve circulating libraries 

 were kept moving in the State, and a number of school children and 

 children in societies, such as 'Bands of Mercy,' etc., have signed the 

 Audobon Pledge and received certificates of associate membership. 



"The increase of the public sentiment for bird protection has been 

 quite marked during the past year in this State, largely due to the 

 good work done by the State Zoologist, and the Audobon literature 

 distribution in schools. Indeed, it is to the intelligent work of the 

 public school teachers who take up the subject that the Audobon 

 society owes some of its best results in the countrv districts. 



