221 



come more and more unlike until matur- 

 ity. 



Breeders of moths have often noticed 

 that there is considerable uniformity with 

 regard to the time of day at which cer- 

 tain kinds of moths emerge. For Prome- 

 thea this time seems to be in the fore- 

 noon. 



From an extensive series of experi- 

 ments, it has been learned that the male 

 finds his mate by means of scent and that 

 this is doubtless the explanation for the 



very large antennae of the male, since it 

 is in these organs that the sense of smell 

 is located. 



Although it may be very interesting to 

 read about the activities of insects, a 

 much more fascinating side of the sub- 

 ject is to handle and study the insects 

 themselves, and there are but few better 

 insects with which to begin a personal ac- 

 quaintance than these which we have 

 been considering. 



Charles Christopher Adams. 



A PLEA FOR LEGISLATIVE PROTECTION. 



In former numbers of Birds and Na- 

 ture we have seen how much our welfare 

 and happiness depends upon the birds. 

 Some hints have been given as to how we 

 may encourage the birds to become resi- 

 dents of our premises so that we may en- 

 list them in the constant warfare against 

 worm and weevil. If there were no great 

 and universal interest at stake in this 

 question, How much do we owe to the 

 birds ? we should, perhaps, have no right 

 to go beyond simple encouragement to 

 the birds to multiply and do their good 

 work in certain chosen places. But the 

 interests are universal and so deeply con- 

 cern the whole world that we have an un- 

 doubted right to say to those who would 

 kill everything in sight, either for gain or 

 for so-called "sport," Thou shalt not ! In 

 other words, we have the right to make 

 laws forbidding anybody to kill birds ex- 

 cept for the best of reasons. This right 

 has been acted upon in most states and 

 in many foreign countries, where various 

 degrees of protection to the birds as well 

 as to other animals have been secured. 



But in very many, if not in most cases, 

 the laws enacted have not furnished pro- 

 tection enough. Those who have put a 

 price upon a bird's plumage, who furnish 

 the temptation for others to break the law 

 against killing birds, have not had a 

 check put upon them. And the class of 

 "sportsmen" which regards anything liv- 

 ing (except man and some of the domes- 



tic animals) as legitimate targets for their 

 weapons, have not been dealt with severe- 

 ly enough. Even where the laws have 

 seemed prohibitive enough they have 

 often failed of their purpose because not 

 properly enforced. There are, then, two 

 things to be considered. First, the pas- 

 sage of laws that will be prohibitive, and, 

 second, machinery adequate to their en- 

 forcement. 



The first question will then be, How 

 may we secure the passage of laws such 

 as we need ? Certainly not by waiting for 

 the state legislatures to do it. In such 

 matters, at least, they wait for an expres- 

 sion of the people. Then agitate the 

 question until the time is ripe for present- 

 ing it before the lawmakers of your state 

 and push it. Write to Mr. Witmer Stone, 

 the chairman of the American Ornitholo- 

 gists' Union, chairman of the Committee 

 on Bird Protection, for a copy of the ideal 

 law, and then act in line with other states. 

 If each state acts in accord with some 

 plan for the whole country, we shall have 

 practically a national protective law. But 

 even this community of interest will not 

 accomplish the purpose for which we set 

 out, even as a law, saying nothing of en- 

 forcement. All this is directed against 

 the killing of birds. The law must pro- 

 hibit the sale of the bird or any part of its 

 plumage for any purpose. Carefully 

 guarded exceptions or privileges might 

 be favorable to those who need material 



