VALUABLE WILD LIFE 27 



4. It shortens the northern season on water- 

 fowl to about three months a period quite long 

 enough. 



5. It renders the protection of the wood-duck 

 universal. 



The federal bill divides the United States into 

 two life-zones, with differences between the two, in 

 the regulations, which now are causing some local 

 irritation; but this state of feeling will subside as 

 soon as the aggrieved ones can be made to under- 

 stand that at present the regulations represent the 

 best wisdom and the best efforts of the Govern- 

 ment, pending an actual trial of the principles 

 involved. 



As in times past when "the prayers of the 

 church" were invoked in behalf of persons in peril 

 or distress, so do we now need to invoke the sym- 

 pathy and sustaining influence of the American 

 people at large in behalf of both the federal migra- 

 tory bird law and the international treaty now being 

 negotiated with Canada for the protection of the 

 migratory birds of the continent. The law is 

 necessary because of the utter inability of more 

 than one-half of our states to protect their migra- 

 tory birds by state laws. For twenty years, at 

 least, fifteen states have sullenly refused to heed the 

 demands made in behalf of the common welfare. 

 The states of Maryland, Virginia, the two Caro- 

 linas, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Ken- 

 tucky, and until 1913 California also, have one and 



