A(JIU( ILTI'IIAI. AIMMUH'IUATIOS BII.I^ 11124. 331 



I'ntlcr tlu' i»(liiiiiiisimii»)ti nf tlir nuj;rnl<»ry bin! trnity ACt, lli«' 



ruiinlxT of mij^rntory wild fowl ducks and ^rosr Unvv \w < ' 



vjTV •jrciitly. \V»' hii\r Irltrrs from all parts t»f tlu- I'liitiMl ~ .. 

 an<l it is pul)lisln«<l in the sporting inapi/.ine.H rcpeutcMily, thnl tlu* 

 result of tlu' lui'^iiilory bird treaty act has l>een a very «;reat in<T« 

 of wild fowl. The nund)er of birds id)serv(Ml eaeh year is much j;reni < t 

 tlum it was before that act was passed, and that increase ha> l»een 

 due to the fail, larijely, that we stopped llie shootini; of birds in the 

 sprin;^ and stopped the sale of <;aine. 



The (k'struction of j^aine i)V wliolesale scale was ended, and breed- 

 in;^ supply of birds which had survive<l the fall hunting and the 

 winter were enabled to j^et back to their breeding; ^roun<ls. 



The need of protection of this kind is shown by the fact that the 

 binls were decreasin<j very rapidly at the time tliis treaty wjls ne<;oti- 

 ated and the law passed. The sportsmen of the country realiz<'d that 

 unless somethin<; of tliis kind wjis done the migratory wild fowl would 

 be exterminated in a comparatively few yeaiN. 



Last year there were more than 4, ()()(), 000 hunting licenses issued 

 by the difTorent States. Adding to that number those who hunted 

 in States where a license is not re(|uired -and those who are exempt 

 from taking out licenses through ownership of land or other causes - 

 it is estimated that a total of over (),t)()(), ()()() people hunt each year in 

 the United States. It is obvious 



Mr. Anderson. The woods are full of them. 



Doctor Nei-son (continuing). That the game has to be protecte<l. 

 because in some places it is fairly mobbed. It is generally conceded 

 among sportsmen and those accpiainted with the subject that this 

 migratory bird treaty act has been one of the most successful con- 

 .servation laws ever passed by Congress. It has demonstratetl its 

 effectiveness in the recognized increase of birds. 



IMPORTATION OF FOREIGN BIRDS .\M) MAMM.M-S. 



In connection with this work, we also supervise the importation 

 of foreign birds and mammals for the purpose of keeping out de- 

 structive species, and we are successful in tliat. The mongoose is 

 the most (langerous of all animals if it should get a footing in the 

 United States. It is a little animal from India, weasel-like in its 

 habits and terrifically destructive. They were importeil into Jamaica 

 and into the Hawaiian Islands, and wherever found they wreak havoc 

 with all ground-fre(iuenting birds. Many of our ground-frcijuenting 

 birds are game birds, and they would be wiped out if the mongoose 

 became established in this country. They would do well in the 

 southern United States anil they would wipe out all (juail. gruu-^e. 

 and wMld fowl that nest in the ground. 



Mr. Anderson. How do they get imported into the country '. 



Doctor Xei.son. People bring them in. They know that they are 

 great rat killers, and so people, ignorant of their habits and what 

 they have done in the countries where they have been introducetl, 

 think it would be a fine thing to have them kill rats. 



There is a real danger that these animals might be introduced in 

 some areas and spread all over the tropical and other warm parts of 



