10 



BIRD NEWS 



lirii NcutB 



FREDERICK W. D'EVELYN, Editor 

 Send all Manuscript to this Department 



AUDUBON SOCIETY WOULD LI- 

 CENSE CATS. 



The Audubon Society of California 

 at its annual meeting held last month 

 advocated a license on cats as a 

 means of decreasing the persistent 

 slaughter of wild birds. This Is cer- 

 tainly a practical suggestion of much 

 importance and is worthy of active 

 support by all bird fanciers. Statis- 

 tics presented at the meeting showed 

 that each cat in the state killed on 

 average fifty birds per year. Indeed, 

 it is claimed that cats destroy more 

 game than all the sportsmen, boys, 

 and collectors together. Owing to re- 

 cent alleged bubonic plague epide- 

 mics, some are opposed to any in- 

 terference with cats, claiming that 

 they destroy great numbers of rats, 

 the accredited host of the bubonic 

 flea. It has been noted that in the 

 very section where tramp cats were 

 abundant, rats were exceptionally 

 numerous. In many of our larger 

 parks, where birds are encouraged to 

 nest, and increase, so as not alone 

 prove attractive features, but to aid 

 in the destruction of insect pests, 

 stringent orders are given that all 

 cats found within the area be de- 

 stroyed. 



Edward H. Forbush, the well- 

 known ornithologist of the Massachu- 

 setts State Board of Trade, says: "All 

 who desire to harbor and i)rotect 

 birds, must eliminate the bird-killing 

 cat." 



The vermin of the house can be 

 controlled by traps and poison — a 

 ferret will in a short time drive all 

 the rats from a buiiding. A good 

 "ratter" dog will practically exter- 

 minate the rats about a farm house. 



Mr. Frank Chapman states in his 

 report: "To these natural causes 

 for the destruction of our birds 

 should be added the ravages 

 of the so-called domesticated cat. 

 There are probably not less than 21,- 

 0,000 cats in the State of New 

 York. While many of them are well 

 fed pets, the larger proportion are to 

 a greater of less extent dependent on 

 their own efforts, often preferably so, 

 for food. A single cat has been 

 known to catch sixty wild birds in a 

 season, and a well-known naturalist 

 and authority on the birds of New 

 England estimates that at least 1,- 

 1 0,000 birds are killed annuaiiy by 

 cats in the New England States." 



The cat is a doubtful beast as a 

 "pet." It is less loyal and less worthy 

 than almost any other "domesti- 

 cated" animal. The ti'amp cat does 

 nothing but hunt; day and night it 

 is on the alert, and many a bird home 

 tragedy is "completea " by the "poor 

 pussy." The cat is prone to disease 

 itself, is a distinct carrier of disease 

 germs and should at no time be to- 

 lerated as a house pet, especially 

 where there are children. Some of 

 the most virulent cases of tuberculo- 

 sis, brought to our notice, were dis- 

 tinctly traceable to the "pet" cat, 

 specially "nursed" by some young 

 member of the household, under the 

 encouragement of some fond parent 

 who patiently strove to inculcate 

 kindness and mercy to the poor cat. 

 which was "wasting awav." 



With such evidence the cat might 

 safely be disposed of and profitably be 

 used as a fertilizer. We would 

 strongly recommend active measures 

 and it would hardly appear these 

 would be su^ficientlv observed by the 

 mere imposition of a cat license. We, 

 however, commend the wide-awake 

 attitude of the Andubon Society and 

 its good services in directing atten- 

 tion to this subtle enemy of the 

 birds. 



