PUBLIC PARKS OF IOWA 253 



WHAT BIRD CONSERVATION MEANS. 

 By T. C. Stevens. 



The Journal of April 16 and 17 contains an anonymous interview at- 

 tacking the principles of 'bird conservation, and some legislation for that 

 purpose, which seems to call for some reply. There are two or three 

 specific points which I wish to review. 



I am familiar with a good deal of the scientific literature on the 

 crow 'and the bluejay, and I am not aware that there is any great plea 

 for the protection of these birds. There is a good deal of literature dis- 

 cussing their value pro 'and con. The result of careful study seems to 

 show that they are not wholly injurious. This fact, however, need not 

 be twisted into a plea for their protection. Of course, gunners wish to 

 have the support of the farmers, and if they can make it appear that 

 the "bug bird" men are working for the protection of two nuisances, they 

 know that we will suffer in the estimation of the farmer, whose support 

 we also greatly desire. 



When the crow becomes so decreased in numbers as to be in danger 

 of extermination, it may be time to say a word in his behalf; but there 

 seems to be no occasion for that now. A great deal can be said against 

 the bounty on crows or any other animals. It has proved a failure in 

 practically eveiry other state where it has been been placed on the 

 statute books. In Pennsylvania under a bounty act on hawks and owls 

 (the Scalp act) it was estimated that the state (by counties) lost $2,105 

 for every dollar saved. However, I will not discuss this point further. 



The crow is especially exempted from protection, under the state law, 

 but the bluejay is not ; the latter -is not specially mentioned for protec- 

 tion under the federal law, and there may be a question whether it is 

 included by inference or not. At any rate it would be safer at present 

 to refrain from killing even a bluejay. 



The gun clu'b representative directs his attacks chiefly against the 

 Audubon societies. It is true that this organization had a great deal 

 to dio with the passage of the migratory bird law, but the bill might 

 never have been put through without the vigorous backing of the Ameri- 

 can Game Protective Association. This new bird law is supported and 

 upheld also by the Deague of American Sportsmen, the Oampfire Club of 

 America, the Boone and Crocket Club, and perhaps every other national 

 organization of American sportsmen. The "cranks" in the department of 

 agriculture are not the only advocates of conservation, by any means. 

 Every true sportsman the country over, as his attention is drawn to the 

 matter, heartily enlists in the cause of wild life conservation. How can 

 a respectable man do otherwise? What gun club men will stand up 

 and advocate shooting any species out of existence? 



Allow me to make one other mfinor correction. The reference to 

 Iowa being a black spot on the map, in regard to progressive game 

 protection, was not my statement, as the quotation marks clearly indi- 

 cated, but was extracted from a longer article by that great pioneer in 

 American game protectioin, Dr. W. T. Hornaday. I wish that everyone 

 might read the entire article and also his recent book on "Our Vanish- 

 ing Wild Life," which is in the public library. 



