43 



l)Ut also uumerous otliei- kinds of birds aud mammals 

 which are friends rather than enemies of the farmers 

 and fruit-growers. To correct these popular and mis- 

 taken notions is highly essential. The Department of 

 Agriculture is now engaged in collecting reliable data 

 Ihrougli competent scientific specialists and otherwise, 

 which when published cannot fail to be of great value 

 as it will show beyond all possible doubt what species 

 of birds and mammals are beneficial or hamiful. Inves 

 tigations in this line, however, are necessarily slow 

 as large numbers of birds and quadrupeds must be 

 collected in the field and the contents of their stom- 

 achs examined most carefully before positive conclu- 

 sions can be safely arrived at as to their true economic 

 relations. 



PUBLIC SENTIMENT IN FAVOR OF BOUNTIES. 



In the early part of February of this present year the 

 Board of Ganit Commissioners distributed several 

 thousand circulars soliciting, by a series of questions, 

 information on different subjects relating to game, the 

 seasons for taking the same, violations of game laws, 

 etc. Among these queries the following concerning 

 bounties and the animals on which such premiums 

 should or should not, in the opinion of the corre- 

 spondent, be paid, appeared: 



"Do you favor the paying of bounties for the killing of birds 

 and other animals which destroy game and fish?" 



"What species of hawks, owls and other wild animals do 

 you think should be placed on the bounty list?" 



These circulars were mailed to State Grange ofti 

 rials and all subordinate granges in the State; a num- 

 ber of Farmer's clubs: to the various organizations em- 

 bracing the Pennsylvania State Sportsmen's Associa- 

 tion, and to the numerous names of representative 



