1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 273 



poison during the winter months, when none of our insectiv- 

 orous birds would be in danger of being destroyed by it. 

 It is feasible to expose poison for sparrows in winter time in 

 such ways as to be without danger to other birds or to 

 animals. The Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture does 

 not approve of the offering of bounty for killing the sparrow ; 

 but, if a bounty for dead sparrows should be proposed, the 

 Board believes that it should be limited to such sparrows 

 only as are killed in the winter. It is found in Michigan, 

 where a bounty is paid for the heads of dead sparrows, that 

 many valuable insect-eating birds that are similar to the 

 English sparrow in appearance are killed, and their heads 

 palmed off upon unobserving officials. If the bounty was 

 paid only for sparrows killed in winter, the insectivorous 

 birds would be safe from the net of the bird-catchers. 



The following preamble and resolution was unanimously 

 accepted and adopted at the public winter meeting of the 

 Board in Worcester in December last : — 



Whereas, It has been clearly demonstrated, by post-mortem 

 dissection and field observation, that most of the hawks and owls 

 are highly beneficial to the farmer and fruit grower, we, members 

 of the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture and farmers 

 assembled at Worcester, Dec. 2, 1890, — 



Resolve, That, in our opinion, the birds of prey, or the hawks 

 and owls, with rare exceptions, are of great benefit to the farmer 

 and fruit grower, and should be protected. We respectfully urge 

 our legislators to refrain from the passage of any law which will 

 have for its object the destruction of these birds. 



