More Birds 



.\ n'ood many people think they observe increased numbers in the tlocks 

 of migrating birds. When comparison of this spring's phenomena is made 

 with the necessarily imperfect recollection of what last spring's were like there 

 is a disposition to accept evidence cautiously, but different observations come 

 to the same conclusion and it seems to be supported by facts. 



In particular the large number of robins has been noted. In parts of the 

 south the robin is a pet bird- It is fat and plunij) when it reaches the south 

 and in the plentiful southern food supply it becomes fatter. Sentiment and law 

 protect it in the north, but until congress passed the migratory bird act nothing 

 protected it in the south. The act, although it has been taken to court, evidently 

 has produced a noticeable effect even in song bird life. The effect upon the 

 game birds undoubtedlv will be more striking if they can be protected against 

 spring shooting. 



People who have been in the south this winter and took the trouble 

 to see what the migratorv bird law was doing, found even in districts into which 

 knowledge of a federal enactment would penetrate slowly, it was understood 

 that there was some new sort of a law which had United States authority back 

 of it. The conviction that it was unsafe to go against a federal law and face 

 federal prosecution influenced men who would have shot any bird that could 

 be cooked. 



The law is attacked because it keeps duck hunters from their spring shoot- 

 ing. The fact that they are shooting game birds out of existence does not 

 interest them. That can interest another generation. This selfishness is par- 

 ticularly base, but generally it will influence enough iieople to cause embarrass- 

 ment to protective legislation. 



Where people have been reached by the educational work undertaken by 

 ])rotective organizations there is an increasing appreciation of the value of birds, 

 and it is fairly well demonstrated already that the migratory bird law is increas- 

 ing the bird numbers. 



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