THE LEGITIMATE USE OF GAME 119 



As a final word on the subject of bringing back 

 the birds, I wish to offer a warning against an error. 

 Among the gunners and sportsmen who wish to 

 preserve to the very last their right to kill, we often 

 hear it said that "the cold winters have killed all the 

 quail," and "the cold winters kill more quail than 

 the sportsmen." Now, it is a curious fact that, con- 

 trary to all the rules of logic and common sense, the 

 killing of quail by cold winters is by many men 

 advanced as a reason against better protection for 

 the quail by long close seasons! It seems incredible 

 that such folly should emanate from reasoning 

 beings; but it does. And, mark you, the men who 

 so mournfully talk about the "cold winters" never 

 in the fall refrain from shooting because of a cold 

 winter and decimation. Furthermore, they never 

 advocate five-year close seasons to enable the flocks 

 to recover before being blotted out. No. They 

 heartlessly go right on shooting those half-starved 

 survivors, meanwhile protesting against real 

 protection. 



And then, when the end has come, and the covers 

 are tenantless, they seek Hungarian partridges for 

 restocking, because "our quail can't stand the 

 climate" ! 



I ask all friends of wild life to insist upon it, in 

 season and out of season, that our quail and grouse 

 can stand the climate of their own homes if they are 

 given a square deal and not exterminated by selfish 

 men, dogs and cats. I have no patience with the 



