318 APPENDIX I. 



in the State, through such persons or officers as said society may 

 designate, to any properly accredited person of the age of fifteen 

 years or upward, permitting the holder thereof to collect birds, 

 their nests or eggs, for strictly scientific purposes only. In order 

 to obtain such certificate the applicant for the same must present 

 to the person or persons having the power to grant said certifi- 

 cate written testimonials from two well-known scientific men, 

 certifying to the good character and fitness of said applicant to 

 be intrusted with such privilege; must pay to said persons or 

 officers one dollar to defray the necessary expenses attending the 

 granting of such certificates; and must file with said persons 

 or officers a properly executed bond in the sum of two hundred 

 dollars, signed by two responsible citizens of the State as sure- 

 ties. This bond shall be forfeited to the State and the certificate 

 become void upon proof that the holder of such a certificate has 

 killed any bird, or taken the nest or eggs of any bird, for other 

 than the purposes named in Sections 4 and 5 of this act, and 

 shall be further subject for each such offence to the penalties 

 provided therefor in Section 3 of this act. 



SEC. 6. The certificates authorized by this act shall be in 

 force for one year only from the date of their issue, and shall 

 not be transferable. 



SEC. 7. The English or European house-sparrow (Passer 

 domesticus) is not included among the birds protected by this 

 act. 



SEC. 8. All acts or parts of acts heretofore passed, inconsist- 

 ent with or contrary to the provisions of this act, are hereby 

 repealed. 



SEC. 9. This act shall take effect upon its passage. 



The accompanying law is calculated to protect our birds as 

 effectually as any legislation can, and it is desirable, if possible, 

 to obtain its passage as it stands. It is, however, a well-known 

 fact that in many of our States the act would not receive favor- 

 able consideration unless modified in several particulars. We 

 offer the following suggestions regarding revision when it is 

 unavoidable : 



