GAME PROTECTION IN IW- 



By MADISON GRANT. 



IN 1905 the Executive Committee of the New York Zoological 

 Society took up the matter of game protection in the vicinity 

 of New York, and, as a means to this end, established a special 

 department. 



This was one of the original objects of the Society when incor- 

 porated, but owing to the press of other work, especially the con- 

 struction work in the New York Zoological Park, it had to be 

 postponed. 



A systematic campaign against the automatic shot-gun was 

 inaugurated, and the Society has met with almost universal sup- 

 port in its effort to have prohibited by law the use of this new 

 instrument of destruction to wild life. Bills are being introduced 

 in the different State legislatures and in Congress for the Federal 

 Territories to prevent the use of this gun, and some, at least, of 

 these bills will become law. 



Many complaints have reached the Society from residents of 

 the suburban districts of New York and the outlying towns and 

 villages of the constant killing of birds and squirrels, and in fact 

 anything alive, by foreigners, especially Italian laborers. When 

 these depredations extended into the grounds of the Zoological 

 Park on the east of the Bronx River, the Committee instructed 

 its agent in charge of the game department, Mr. George O. 

 Shields, to commence a vigorous campaign, and if possible obtain 

 the conviction of some of these law-breakers as an example. 



As a first step, the Society's special officer, Henry Van Ben- 

 schoten, was instructed to pay special attention to violators of the 

 bird and game laws. Through his activity the following persons 

 were arrested in the Zoological Park, and punished as shown : 



Anddino Chiozo. — Arrested January 18, 1905, for shooting 

 Birds on the Boston Road. Fined $5.00 by Magistrate Breen. 



Louis Dorfinga. — Arrested May nth, for shooting Robins. 

 Fined $1.00 by Alagistrate McAvoy. 



Antonion Balenticer. — Arrested June 7th, for disorderly 

 conduct. Fined $5.00 by Magistrate Baker. 



