226 



Bird - Lore 



Bird Bill was passed and are very plentiful. 

 However, if they must be thinned out, this 

 can be done during the fall and winter after 

 the nesting season is over. This would be 

 more humane. 



"Inclosed find a clipping from the Pitts- 

 burgh Post, which gives the paper I read 

 before the Pennsylvania Forestry Associa- 

 tion here — you will note that I touched on 

 this subject. Kindly let me have your 

 thought in regard to the matter. 

 "With best wishes, I am, 

 Your friend, 

 (Signed) John M. Phillips.'' 



Mr. Phillips has given general publicity to 

 his official objections to the killing of Robins 

 in this manner. In the issue of the Pittsburgh 

 Post for June 17, 1921, occurs the following 

 quotation from one of his recent addresses: 



"The Federal Government is issuing per- 

 mits authorizing the killing of song-birds and 

 insectivorous birds when found destroying 

 small fruits. 



"These permits are effective right during 

 th« nesting season, from May 15 to July 15, 

 when possible to do the most damage to the 

 birds. The permit also allows the killer to 

 retain his birds in cold storage until July 25 

 for food purposes. These nesting birds would 

 be as palatable as setting hens. For many 

 years we fought against the killing of Egrets 

 for plumage in southern swamps on the 

 ground that killing the parent birds in the 

 nesting season allowed thousands of baby 

 Egrets to starve. 



"This inhuman condition will be multiplied 

 a thousand times if farmers are to be per- 

 mitted to kill Robins and other insect-eaters 

 during their nesting season when, after 

 working for months for the farmers, they ask 

 only a little dessert, a small reward for their 

 labor, asked for at a time when their own 

 domestic crisis is at hand." 



PERMIT TO KILL ROBINS 



United States Department of Agrici'lti^re 



Bureau of Biological Survey 



Permit to Shoot Robins to Protect Cherries 

 and Other Small Fruits 



Permission is herebv granted to 



of ' 



State of 



to kill Robins by shooting from half an hour 

 before sunrise to half an hour after sunset 

 each day from May 16 to July 15, inclusive, 

 ig2. .when necessary to protect cherries and 

 other small fruits from damage on lands 



owned or leased by 



of but sub- 



ject to the following conditions and require- 

 ments: 



Robins shall not be so killed except when 

 they are committing or are about to commit 

 serious injury to growing cherries or other 

 small fruits and it is necessary to kill such 

 Robins in order to protect the cherries or 

 other small fruits from damage, but no per- 

 sons shall shoot at such Robins from any arti- 

 ficial or natural blinds, nor shall the Robins 

 so killed be sold or ofTercd for sale, or be 

 shipped, transported, or carried in any man- 

 ner, e.xcept that they may be carried by the 

 person killing them to the residence of the 

 owner or lessee on the lands where such 

 Robins were killed and there may be used for 

 food purposes by the persons authorized to 

 kill them. Robins killed between May 16, 

 192 . . , and July 15, 192 . . , may be possessed 

 not later than July 25, 192. .. 



This permit shall not be valid unless coun- 

 tersigned by the chief official in charge of the 

 enforcement of the fish and game laws of the 



State of , or his 



duly authorized representative and shall be 

 revocable in the discretion of the Chief of the 

 Bureau of Biological Sur\ey or of the person 

 countersigning same. 

 Countersigned by: Secretary of Agriculture. 



Date. 



(Title) 



The Government's Side of the Story 



.\fter reading these presentations by Mr. 

 Phillips a letter was sent to the Biological 

 Survey stating that the above communica- 

 tion would be published in Bird-Lore and 

 requesting an official statement from the 

 Biological Survey as to why it was deemed 

 necessar>- to issue permits to kill Robins. 

 Under date of July 2, 192 1, the following 

 letter was received: ||^» ' t» ^ |g 



'"My dear Mr. Pearson: I have your letter 

 of June 30, requesting the reasons why the 

 Bureau deems it necessary and wise to issue 

 permits to allow Robins to he killed in certain 

 states to protect small fruits from their 

 depredations. 



"You are aware, of course, that Robins 

 have increased possibly several fold under the 

 protection alTorded by Federal Ir.ws during 

 the last few years, and that despite the gen- 

 eral usefulness of Robins and other species of 

 migratory insect ixorous birds the Robins and 

 some of the other species at times arc seri- 

 ously injurious to fruit and to agricultural 

 interests. 

 ■'.A representative of the Bureau whoinves- 



