ADDRESSES OF MAJOR LACEY 165 



gives the secretary of agriculture power to introduce use- 

 ful wild birds of all kinds into localities where they have 

 become extinct, or in localities where they have hereto- 

 fore existed, but it gives him power to prevent the intro- 

 duction of injurious foreign varieties of birds and beasts. 



Some time ago a gentleman conversing with me on the 

 subject of the English sparrow, which has earned and de- 

 serves the reputation of being a common nuisance, called 

 my attention to the danger of introducing other birds of 

 evil reputation, and suggested to me that we ought by all 

 means to prevent the importation of the flying fox or the 

 mongoose. He evidently regarded both of them as birds 

 of bad repute. In this appeal I have recognized that 

 these animals were vermin and ought to be excluded. The 

 main feature of the bill, and the one which will be found 

 the most useful, is that which prohibits interstate com- 

 merce in wild birds and animals killed or captured in 

 violation of local laws. At present the state laws are 

 rendered almost entirely useless, owing to the fact that 

 the poacher kills or traps the game and ships it to a dis- 

 tant market in packages so disguised that neither carrier 

 nor local game protectors are able to detect the contents. 

 When these shipments arrive at the market they are of 

 no value unless exposed. If shipped in violation of the 

 laws of the states, they can readily be the subject of pros- 

 ecution by the authorities charged with the enforcement 

 of the laws. This additional power in the hands of men 

 engaged in the protection of our birds and beasts will, in 

 my opinion, do more to stop this nefarious traffic than 

 any method that has yet been devised. 



The farmers of the country who are interested in the 

 preservation of their feathered friends will all favor such 

 a measure. Concerted action all along the line, by the 

 lovers of our birds, will insure the passage of this bill. 



As to the introduction of locally extinct species, or 



