126 



ORIS^ITIIOLOGIST 



[Vol. 13-IS'o. 8 



particulai- piipcr liy toadying to the scnfiinoiit 

 iiuiUMgcd to bring (juite a re^pet'tiibk- grist to 

 its mill, and altliongli a large portion of e;wh 

 issue is devoted to advettisnituts of dcatli di'al- 

 iiig instruments for game birds and fohnnns 

 talven up with tales of slaugliter, .-till it was 

 used as a inoutli piece, and its sellisb ends not 

 di-covered for some time, and not until it was 

 f(pund its only object was to sell more of its 

 issue and do the necessary printing in shape of 

 pledges, etc., to keep step with the procession 

 and float in on the wave of tins new "/«(?." 

 The I-'ish and Game Commissioners, or at least 

 some of them, joined hand and glove. The 

 one who stood for\var<l as the champion of the 

 sentimentalists early (lis<dosed bis total nntit- 

 ness to speal< on I he snbject, by declaring that 

 '■'■ v^c had ndthiiiii iiii>rr In learn of the birds, tee 

 knew all ahuut them now," declared '• that all one 

 needed ta stndi/ them with, tms an opera glaxs to 

 valeh them hi the trees," and yet after all that 

 exhibition of ignoiance of the subject, now 

 comes forward and says, "the law is producing 

 gratifying and palpable results," and '' the birds 

 are largely upon the increase to the great bene- 

 fit of the agriculturist,"' (that last is only a 

 little sop to the rustics who are always thouglit 

 to be susceptible to "blarney"), "and the com- 

 toi-t and delight of all jjecjple." "We. are not 

 surprised at tlie statement they make that 

 "Massachusetts lags in intelligence," if they 

 think that the t'omnnuivvealth takes any stock 

 in such bahb'rdasb. People who have to use 

 opera or other glasses to study the feathered 

 creation, « hose ilays are not spent in the forest 

 and tield in annul obseivation and study are 

 not entiiely (iualitie<l to give an opinion of any 

 value upon such a question. We have confi- 

 dence to athrm that there is not a naturalist of 

 any reputation in the country that would under- 

 take, upon a thrc r four year's ordinary obser- 

 vation, to declare « lielher there was any change 

 one way (u- anothei- in the nnmerical strength 

 of tlu^ s(mg bii'd, nuicli less tlien those who 

 have other business affairs to attend to, and t<i 

 whom the inoteclion of fish and game is bnt a 

 side allair. The succeeding paragraph is one 

 wliich is particularly interesting to those unfor- 

 tunates wlio were assured wlien tlie law was 

 passed that " if they would moderate their as- 

 sault upon it that ihey might rest assured that 

 all repntable nrnitliologists should be given 

 permits to coUeci," and wiio imiuediately after- 

 wards were co(dly iidmnied that the commis- 

 sioners had deternuned to grant no permits, and 

 this followed up by infoianalion reaching them 

 that the honorable gentlemen had granted ]icr- 



mits to some who never had even expressed a 

 desire for thi'in. It is real refreshing to an 

 enthusiastic ornithologist to read th.at the "re- 

 striction of permits had been brought to a 

 nnnimum, only fourteen being issued in the 

 year anil tliey only to people entirely trusts 

 worthy and who do not abuse the privilege." 



Were it necessary we might call into (juestion 

 the desirability of granting permits to some we 

 know have received tliem if the matter of bird 

 butclieiy is really what the comnussioners de- 

 sire to i)revent. 



It will sutKce, how-ever to saj' as showing the 

 evident insincerity and favoritism of the Com- 

 mission that it has no qualm.s of conscience in 

 appointing as a Deputy to spy out infractions 

 of this part of the law, one who has used the 

 columns of the severely virtuous paper we have 

 mentioned before in advertising for " briglit 

 plumaged birds, Tanagers, Orioles etc." \Vas 

 it because he was a member of a society that 

 gives a free dinner semi-occasionally to the 

 Commission y 



As to the concluding jioition ot the i)ara- 

 grapli, a.sking the fariuer and the women of the 

 state to co-oi)erate. That is all right, we don't 

 object provided the farmer will let his charity^ 

 for the i)irds begin at home, and kill off a good 

 portiiui ot ills cats which prowl along the walls 

 and fences killing birds tlie ornithologist would 

 not expend powder and shot for, and grease up 

 the old blundei-buss and lay it away, allowing 

 the Orioles a full swing at his peas, .and liobins, 

 'I'hrushes, Catbirds, Cherrybir<ls and all, free 

 license to his cherries and pears. And the 

 ladies — well, we don't need to ask them to do 

 any thing bnt what they alwaj-s liave done, 

 wear the |iluniage of our domestic fowl fanci- 

 fully colored, or it their brotbei-, oi- some other 

 girl's biother gives them a t^luail or I'ai'tridge 

 wing, even it he sbould go to (^inncy market and 

 buy the wing of a Plover sliot while on his way 

 north to breed, that his body might be a tid-bit 

 at some Game Protection .Society's dinner, it 

 will help pi-otect our song bird. 



The next paragraph, however apiiears to give, 

 in rather an obscure way. a reason for declaring 

 our dear old Commonwealth so backward in 

 intelligence. She has not yet awakened to 

 tile f.act that here at home we have an abundant 

 food supply of a new and reeherehe character. 

 But we diuibt not, but that the gigantic intel- 

 lect which n)ade tliis important discovery of 

 such a new food supply, after it has recovered 

 from the great mental strain it nmst have luid 

 in making it, will in the nest report give so 

 many and such exhaustive recipes for the pre- 



