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THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



for paj'ing the wardens and meeting the other 

 expenses incident to the game law enforce- 

 ment. 



The Federal Government is also taking 

 some share of the responsibilit}' in preserving 

 the wild Ufe of the Union. On July 2, 1897, 

 Congressman Lacy introduced in the House 

 a bill to prohibit the export of big game from 

 some of the western states. In 1909, some 

 amendments were made to the Lacy law, one 

 of which prohibited the shipment of birds, or 

 parts thereof, from a state in which they had 

 been illegally killed, or from which it is illegal 

 to ship them. The enforcement of this by 

 Federal officers has been most potent in 

 breaking up a great system of smuggling 

 quail, grouse, ducks and other game birds. 



Probably the most important game law as 

 yet enacted in the United States is the one 

 known as the "Federal Migratory Game 

 Law," or the "McLean Law." A somewhat 

 extended discussion of this important meas- 

 ure seems justifiable at this time. 



When, in 1913, the first breath of autumn 

 swept over the tule sloughs and reedy lakes 

 of the Northwest, the wild fowl and shore 

 birds of that vast region arose in clouds, and 

 began, by stages, to journey toward their 

 winter quarters beneath southern skies. If 

 the older birds that had often taken the same 

 trip thought anything about the subject, 

 they must have been impressed, when they 

 crossed the border into the United States, 

 with the fact that changes had taken place 

 in reference to shooting. In Minnesota, for 

 instance, the firing of guns had begun on 

 September seventh, in other years; but those 

 ducks that reached the Mississippi River 

 below St. Paul found no one at hand waiting 

 to kill them. As they proceeded, by occa- 

 sional flights, farther down the river, there 

 was still a marked absence of gunners. The 

 same conditions prevailed all the way down 

 the valley until the sunken grounds of Arkan- 

 sas and Mississippi came into view. What 

 did this mean? Heretofore, at this season, 

 hunters had always lined the river. This had 

 been the case ever since the oldest duck could 

 remember. The Missouri River too was free 

 from shooting throughout the greater part 

 of its length, which surely was sufficient cause 

 for many a grateful quack. What was the 

 reason for this great change? Had the killing 

 of wild fowl suddenly lost its attraction for 

 those who had been accustomed to seek 

 pleasure afield with gun and decoys? No, 



indeed, banish the thought, for it is written 

 that so long as man shall live, wild ducks shall 

 grace his table and comfort his palate. 



The remarkable changes which had so 

 affected the fortunes of the wild fowl were due 

 to the enactment of the new Federal Migra- 

 tory Game Law on the fourth day of March, 

 1913. The law did not in itself prohibit wild- 

 fowling on the Missouri and Mississippi 

 Rivers between the hours of sunset and sun- 

 rise; but it gave authority to certain func- 

 tionaries to make such regulations as they 

 deemed wise, necessary and proper, in order 

 to extend better protection to all migratory 

 game and insect-eating birds in the L^nited 

 States. The Secretary of Agriculture, to 

 whose department this unusual duty was 

 assigned, read the law thoughtfully, con- 

 cluded the task did not come within the 

 bounds of his personal capabilities, and very 

 wisely turned the whole matter over to a 

 committee of three experts, chosen from one 

 of the department bureaus known as the 

 "Biological Survey." 



This committee, consisting of Messrs. T. 

 S. Palmer, A. K. Fisher and W. W. Cooke 

 (all names well known in bird protection 

 circles), at once began the preparation of a 

 series of regulations to give effect to the new 

 statute. Drawing extensively from the rec- 

 ords stored in the survey offices, and season- 

 ing these with their own good judgment and 

 knowledge of existing conditions, they brought 

 out in a period of three months and nine days, 

 or to be more precise on June twenty-third, 

 nineteen himdred and thirteen, a set of ten 

 regulations which, in many ways, have 

 revolutionized shooting in the United States. 

 These were printed in pamphlet form and 

 distributed widely; for before they could 

 take effect as law it was necessary that they 

 should be advertised for a period of at least 

 three months in order to give all dissatisfied 

 parties an opportunity to be heard. 



The whole idea of the Government taking 

 over the matter of protecting migratory birds, 

 and the startling character of some of the 

 regulations promulgated by the committee, 

 were justly expected to bring forth either 

 shouts of approbation or a storm of dis- 

 approval, and possibly both sounds might be 

 heard. Long experience has shown that it is 

 necessary for public opinion to approve of a 

 game law if it is to be effective. Thus it was 

 that, following the mailing of circular rules, 

 the gentlemen of the committee stood, 



