M o n thl y B iill e tin 5 



wild flowers and plants from thoughtless destruction. This work also is 

 carried on far beyond the limits of the State and appeals to the Society from 

 libraries or schools for leaflets are always honored. The Society for the 

 Protection of Native Plants joins with the Massachusetts Audubon Society 

 in its interest in and its support of the Moose Hill Bird Sanctuary and all 

 members are cordially welcome at the Sanctuary at any time. It is believed 

 that they will turn out in large numbers at the Annual Bird Day on May 14th. 



THE QUAIL AS A GAME-BIRD. 



The National Association of Audubon Societies does not advocate the 

 placing of the Quail on the "songbird list," and this is the attitude it has 

 always held. As historic evidence of the fact that we regard this bird as 

 strictly a game-bird I may mention that in the old "Model Law" prepared 

 by the American Ornithologists' Union, which, as a result of campaigns 

 instituted by workers of this Association, was adopted in forty-one States, 

 the group of birds to which the Quail belongs is specially declared to be 

 game-birds. In most States this bill was known as the Audubon Bill and 

 in many places today is known as the Audubon Law. 



If the ordinary safeguards thrown around a game-bird, such as bag- 

 limit, limited shooting season, non-sale, and other usual precautions, do not 

 prove sufficient in preventing the numbers of the species from becoming 

 unduly depleted, then it should be protected by a closed season of a few 

 years' duration in order to allow the bird to recuperate in numbers. 



A law placing the Quail on the songbird list, or in other words giving 

 it perpetual closed season, is likely to have a tendency to defeat the very 

 object for which the bill was enacted. The class of people that has taken 

 most interest in this bird in the United States is the organized sportsmen. 

 In many States these bodies, representing thousands of good, worth-while 

 citizens, in order to perpetuate their opportunities to go afield with gun and 

 dog, have expended much time and large sums of money in feeding Quail 

 during periods of heavy snows and have also been responsible for the in- 

 troduction of tens of thousands of Quails for the purpose of restocking 

 depleted coveys. Many of these organizations are also active in apprehend- 

 ing those who kill the Quail by illegal methods or at unseasonable times. 



It is my opinion that especially in many of the Northern and Central 

 States the Quail today would be almost as rare as the Passenger Pigeon if 

 it had not been for the efforts of the Game Protective organizations of sports- 

 men who have long been the chief active force in securing and encouraging 

 the enforcement of laws for its preservation. If in attempting to protect 

 Quail the bird is removed for all time from the list of birds that may ever 

 be hunted, you virtually take from it the solicitous protective influences of 

 the one large class of our citizens that has done most for its protection in the 

 past. 



My experience has been that in most instances the fortunes of the Quail 

 may with a fair degree of safety be left in the hands of the Game Protective 

 associations who have an intense personal interest in the preservatipn of 

 the species. 



T. Gilbert Pearson. 



