^6 DuTCHER. Protection of Gidh and Terns. Ljan. 



Legislative Work. 



Prior to 1 90 1 only five States had laws for the protection of non- 

 game birds that were at all satisfactory- ; these were : 



Indiana, statute dated March 5, 1891. 

 Vermont, " "' Nov. 22, 1892. 



Arkansas, " " March 15, 1897. 



Illinois, " " April 24, 1899. 



Rhode Island, statute dated May 4. 1900. 



The laws of Indiana and Illinois are substantially the form of 

 statute recommended by the American Ornithologists' Union, 

 while the others follow it so closely that the non-game birds receive 

 ample protection when the law is enforced. 



In this connection it will be of interest to note that the passage 

 of the law in the State of Arkansas was the result of the efforts of 

 a member of the Union, Mrs. Louise McGown Stephenson, who, 

 unaided, was able to accomplish the much needed reform. In 

 addition to this great work, Mrs. Stephenson insists that the law 

 shall be respected by the citizens of her State, and more than one 

 law breaker has reason to remember that the birds of Arkansas 

 have good laws and good friends to protect them. 



In the report submitted by this Committee one year ago, the 

 work done by the wardens employed was found to have resulted in a 

 large increase in the sea birds breeding from Virginia northward to 

 Maine. These wardens, however, were only employed during the 

 breeding season, as in none of the States where they were located 

 were there any laws to protect the birds after the breeding season 

 was over. Inquiry later in the year disclosed the fact that the 

 plume hunters resumed their work in the fall and winter season, 

 notably in New Vork, Massachusetts, and Maine, when many hun- 

 dreds of gulls and terns were killed. 



Your Committee therefore decided to make a systematic and 

 determined effort to improve the bird laws of as many States as 

 possible, especially those along the Atlantic seaboard. 



Before attempting to amend the law^s of a State, it is necessary 

 to make a thorough stud}- of its existing statutes relating to game 



