INTRODUCTION xliii 



wolves in Wyoming, Montana, and California. The coyote bounty 

 law in California remained in force only four years, but actually cost 

 the state $187,485, while the claims filed aggregated about $400,000.! 

 In the west bounties on birds are now paid only in Utah and Oregon, 

 and in the latter state are restricted to cormorants and sheldrakes. 



Enforcement. The enforcement of game laws depends largely on 

 public sentiment. Although most of the western states have game 

 wardens, the laws are not enforced as they should be. Better results 

 are attained where local wardens are under the authority of a state 

 officer or state board. Unfortunately the liberal appropriations neces- 

 sary to meet the expenses incident to warden service are not often 

 available, but game protection might be made almost self-support- 

 ing if the money derived from licenses, fines, sale of contraband 

 game, and similar sources, were all turned into a state game pro- 

 tection fund instead of going into several different funds, no one of 

 which is available for work of this kind. 



A potent influence in bird protection is the federal law popularly 

 known as the Lacey Act, which went into effect on May 25, 1900. 

 Under this act interstate commerce in birds killed in violation of 

 local laws is prohibited, and through cooperation between federal 

 and state authorities statutes which were formerly dead letters are 

 now being enforced. The chief value of the law, however, lies in 

 the interest in protection which it has aroused throughout the coun- 

 try even among persons who formerly gave the subject no thought. 

 Largely through its influence game protection is now being estab- 

 lished on broader lines, rapid progress is being made in legislation, 

 and the laws are better observed than ever before. 



1 See Palmer, "Extermination of Noxious Animals by Bounties," Yearbook Dept. 

 Agr. for 1896, pp. 55-68. 



