TENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 45 



Harry Stein. — Arrested June 25th, for stealing young birds 

 from their nests. Fined $5.00 by Magistrate Olmstead. 



Thomas Ryan. — Arrested December 19, 1905, for cutting 

 branches from a hemlock tree. Reprimanded by Magistrate 

 Steinhart. 



During the summer it was brought to the attention of the 

 Zoological Society that a most murderous onslaught of song- 

 birds was being made by Italians in the vicinity of Wakefield, 

 N. Y. Accordingly, two raids on the depredators were organized 

 by Mr. H. W. Merkel, assisted by Mr. Shields and the State 

 Game Protector, John Ferguson, from Long Island, and Messrs. 

 Rudolph Bell and John J. Rose, of the Zoological Park force. 

 Two police officers were procured from the Wakefield Precinct to 

 take charge of the prisoners, and the following were arrested : 

 John Eitney, James Ferrilla, Giovanni Contomessa, Frank Pacello, 

 Hubert Amodeo, Joseph Comonico, Gaetano Amodeo. 



In the possession of these men forty-three song-birds were 

 found, and permanently preserved as evidence against them. 

 They were held under bonds for trial at Special Sesssions, and 

 the cases, when reached in January, 1906, were handled in behalf 

 of the Society with great energy and judgment by Mr. William 

 White Niles, who was assisted by Assistant District-Attorney 

 Krotel. 



Pacello, Comonico, and Gaetano were fined $50.00 each and 

 sentenced to ten days in prison. Contomessa was fined $25.00; 

 Amodeo, on account of his youth, was discharged, and Ferilla 

 was remanded for sentence at a later date. 



In order to break up the Italian habit of slaughtering song- 

 birds for food, the Society caused 3,000 copies of the recently 

 enacted State law prohibiting the carrying of firearms by aliens 

 to be printed and distributed by Mr. Shields throughout the State. 

 Information regarding this law was published in every Italian 

 newspaper of New York City. 



In the month of October Mr. Hornaday attended the annual 

 convention of the New York State League for the Protection of 

 Forests, Fish, and Game, in order to interest that body in the 

 passage of a law against the use of the automatic gun. A resolu- 

 tion condemning the use of the automatic gun and calling upon 

 the Legislature to enact a law preventing its use in the State of 

 New York w'as. after prolonged discussion, adopted with but one 

 dissenting vote. 



By special request, the Director attended the annual meeting of 

 the Lewis and Clark Club, of Pittsburg, for the purpose of 



