No. 4.] DECREASE OF BIRDS. 523 



season of the birds, that they may liave no opportunity to 

 destroy the eggs or young. 



Posting Land. — Owners of land will accomplish little in 

 the way of bird protection by merel}^ posting notices forbid- 

 ding trespassing or shooting, for man}- shooters pay little 

 attention to such notices. They are useful, however, Avhere 

 there is a man to patrol the land posted, and see that shoot- 

 ers keep off, for notices define the limits of the guarded 

 land, and serve as a warning to all trespassers. 



The prevention of the sale of all game birds taken in the 

 State, which is advocated by three persons, is a wise meas- 

 ure, and one which must be undertaken sooner or later, 

 unless other measures are adopted to save the game. The 

 amount of native game marketed here has greatly de- 

 creased already. Our marketmen are now obliged to send 

 to Europe, the Antilles and other regions to secure a supply 

 of game for home consumption. Over forty States and 

 Territories already prohibit the sale of either a part of or 

 all the game taken within their limits. All the British 

 North American Provinces prohibit the sale of certain ani- 

 mals or game birds, or both. Massachusetts is behind the 

 leaders in this movement. She must eventually stand with 

 Arkansas, Colorado, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota and 

 Texas, which forbid the sale of all, or nearly all, birds 

 protected by the laws. Eventually poultry and pigeons, or 

 artificially propagated game birds, and water-fowl, raised by 

 our farmers and poultrymen, probal)ly will largely take the 

 place in our markets so long filled by wild game birds. 



Heavier penalties for infractions of the game laws might 

 be provided, and perhaps would cause them to be more gen- 

 erally respected. 



A law limiting the number of birds to be taken in a day 

 is in force in several States, and may be of some service 

 with conscientious sportsmen, but it is difiicult of enforce- 

 ment. 



To forbid the use of live decoys would help to protect the 

 water birds. The arguments for such a law will apply with 

 less force to decoys of all kinds ; but there arc many diffi- 

 culties in the way of enacting or enforcing such laws. 



