THE CONSERVATION OF BIRDS. '207 



of the evil few have so blackened the n^pulatioii of the whole 

 family, that it is not [probable that hawks and owls will be 

 protected generally or specifically in most States for a long 

 time to come. Few States grant protection to the whole 

 tribe. Some protect all but " chicken-hawks." One or two 

 protect fish-hawks. Several States have prescribed fines 

 for killing bald eagles. The turkey buzzards {Cathartes aura), 

 which prefer carrion to freshly-killed meat, are useful as scav- 

 engers and are protected in the District of Columbia and in 

 the Southern States. They ought to be protected wherever 

 they occur. 



Besides birds of prey there are a number of other birds 

 to which several States have thus far denied protection. 

 Of such are the grain-eating birds, — crows, blackbirds, etc.; 

 those which live upon fish, — loons, auks, mergansers, herons, 

 and kingfishers ; and English sparrows. The last-named is 

 the one most generally condemned ; only a few States have 

 exempted fish-eating birds from protection, and less than half 

 have announced a prejudice against crows and blackbirds. 



Legislation })rimarily intended for game has in a few instances 

 afforded protection to all birds. Laws prohibithig shooting on 

 Sunday and those requiring gun licenses are of this sort. Speak- 

 ing of gun licenses, the protection of non-game-birds is the only 

 reason that can be logically urged in their favor. The declara- 

 tion that game is the property of the State is the foundation 

 of all game legislation. That all citizens of the State have 

 equal right to it must be conceded. A game law establishing 

 a gun license discriminates against the poor sportsman and in 

 favor of the rich one. On the other hand, a gun license re- 

 quirement would undoubtedly delay the day when precocious 

 youngsters go forth with two-dollar guns until many of them, 

 at least, are old enough to be out of the bird-killing stage. 



In tlip vicinity of some of our larger cities trapping native 

 song-birds to sell as i)ets has been carried on to such an 

 extent that several States have prohibited it by law, so they 



