()()4 



geiitlciucn rcsidiiij; in the hoi-oni;!! (if \\'"sl Clicslcr he 

 gan lo oppose it most vij^oi-ously ; ind. ed tin- liist ('ITorts 

 made to have the noxious ''Scalp Act of 1885" repealed 

 were begnu in Chestei- county, wlien early in 188r» the 

 members of the West Chester Mici'(t'Sco]tical Kociely, 

 under the leadership of sncii pi-oniincul ;iu<l able gen- 

 tlemen as Dr. .Jos. T. l\o(lirock, Dr. -lesse C. (rreen. Ex 

 congicssnian W ashington To\\us(Mid, Addison .May and 

 others called a s]Kcial meeting, willi the view of crea- 

 tingsentimentlobring about the repeal of that jvoition 

 t)f the ac! which allowed lu-emiunis for the heads of 

 beiu'ticial biids. This society published in February, 

 188(>, a jiampldet confainiug strong resolutions con- 

 demning tlu' act, with uuuuM'ous letters from s(rme of 

 the most eminent ornithologists in the United States, 

 together with a brief description of the birds of prey 

 and their food habits. This re])Oi-t was widely circu- 

 lated thi-oughout Pennsylvania, and as many of the 

 leading newspapei's of the State quoted quit(^ exten- 

 sively fr(un it a sentiment was soon stai^ted in almost 

 every cornity of the Gommonwealth in favor of, at least, 

 tlie beneticial species of Hawks and Owls. 



OTHERS LABORED TO REPEAL IT. 



Tin* members of the State TJoard of Agrlculturf, 

 thr<uigh Secretary Thos. J. Edge, assisted by the writer, 

 who at tliat lime had made dissections of over 1. ')()() 

 stomachs ol Hawks and Owls, labored most indus- 

 triously ro show the economic value of the raptorial 

 birds, and secur( the repeal of that part of the odious 

 measnie whicli prompted the destruction of certain 

 birds which wei'e c^f the greatest value to farmers and 

 fruitj::rowers. 



