120 



CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 



A NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE 

 CONSERVATION OF WILD LIFE. 



In the Revicto of April 17, 1920, there 

 is an editorial suggesting the value of 

 a national commission on the conserva- 

 tion of wild life. The Review makes the 

 following statements : 



"Good legislation in some narrow 

 corner of the field results, now and then ; 

 but permanent advances along the entire 

 line is impossible, so long as the matter 

 is handled in a piecemeal way." 



It is very true that greater cooperation 

 in the work of conservation is needed, 

 particularly in the consideration of effec- 

 tive methods of dealing with the problem 

 of migratory species. The starting point 

 for this work is conservation by 

 education in the different states, and 

 from this will develop united public senti- 

 ment and greater national benefits. 



The United States Bureau of Biological 

 Survey under the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture may be considered 

 as the present national organizatiou for 

 the conservation of wild life. It is the 

 beginning of what must necessarily be an 

 actively growing institution. However, 

 notwithstanding the unquestionable value 

 of the United States Biological Survey, 

 a commission would doubtless have much 

 more freedom than the present United 

 States Bureau has, and with a compe- 

 tent, fit body of men, might be able to 

 accomplish more. 



The vital point which still remains is 

 that any central commission or national 

 body, no matter how efficient in itself, 

 would be more or less ineffectual unless 

 it has the support of the individual 

 states. Therefore, the effort of each 

 state should be toward education which 

 would lead directly to a cooperative spirit 

 and the unification of endeavor. Without 

 educational methods there will be more 

 chance for misguided legislation, lobby- 

 ing, aggressive criticism and the accom- 

 panying lack of coordinated national 

 strength. 



The conclusion is that the idea of a 

 national commission is of paramount 

 interest, but any national organization 

 will be gi-eatly hampered until it has 

 creditable state support. 



GUNS USED BY DUCK PIRATES. 

 Although few of the big guns used by 

 the duck pirates, or night gunners, on 



Chesapeake Bay and the rivers of Mary- 

 land, are in use at the present time, yet 

 occasionally a new capture is made. The 

 collection photographed is a collection 



Fig. 33. Large bore guns used by 

 duck pirates on Chesapeake Bay, 

 Maryland. These are similar to those 

 used by duck pirates in California 

 previous to protective laws which 

 put them out of business. 



which has been assembled from time to 

 time by the game wardens of Maryland. 

 The guns measure 10 feet and weigh 

 about 115 pounds ; they are very crude 

 affairs, some of them having been made 

 by the "village blacksmith." Like guns 

 were used by market hunters in Cali- 

 fornia until legislation prohibited their 

 use. Wm. H. Fisher, 



Baltimore, Md. 



SALMON FISHING AT MENDOTA 

 WEIR. 



Prior to the last two decades, salmon 

 fishing in the upper waters of the San 

 Joaquin River was confined to the use 

 of seines and spears. Following closely 



