296 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



State game commissioners, sportsmen, and others have extended 

 cordial support and cooperation in the enforcement of the law, and 

 the general opinion prevails that the treaty act properly enforced 

 will restore our migratory game birds to such numbers as will con- 

 tinue to afford abundant legitimate sport. At the same time there 

 Avill be an increase in the useful insectivorous and other migratory 

 nongame birds. 



INTERSTATE COMMERCE IN GAME. 



The designation " district inspector, interstate cornmerce in game," 

 was changed to "United States game warden" when the migratory- 

 bird treaty act, approved July 3, 1918, became effective, and the 

 enforcement of the provisions of the Lacey Act was delegated to all 

 United States game wardens 15 in number ^but 4 of these wardens, 

 who had been previously assigned solely to Lacey Act work, were 

 continued during the year in the enforcement of that law. The 

 remainder of the wardens devoted their time mainly to the enforce- 

 ment of the treaty act, but rendered incidental services in the enforce- 

 ment of the Lacey Act. 



The increased number of wardens performing Lacey Act work has 

 resulted in greatly increased activity in the suppression of illegal 

 interstate shipments of game. During the year special efforts were 

 made to minimize shipments of beaver and deer skins and deer. 

 In this the bureau secured the cooperation of many responsible 

 concerns dealing in furs and game. The high prices paid for furs 

 have encouraged some trappers to capture illegally and ship beaver 

 skins to the market, but, as a result of the bureau's educational work 

 in regard to the law, many firms dealing in furs have refused to pur- 

 chase beaver skins or to receive shipments from States that have a 

 continuous close season on beaver. Many of these firms have not only 

 discontinued sending quotations to trappers in States which pro- 

 hibit the exportation of beaver skins, but have warned trappers not 

 to consign to them beaver skins that have been illegally taken or 

 shipped. 



More than 1,000 interstate shipments of furs and game were inves- 

 tigated and 25 apparent violations of the Lacey Act were reported 

 to the solicitor during the year. Of these violations, 12 were based 

 on shipments which contained in the aggregate 27 carcasses of deer 

 and 1,500 pounds of venison; 7 contained a total of 103 beaver skins; 

 2 contained 56 deerskins; 1 consisted of several shipments contain- 

 ing deer and elk hides; and 1 a shipment of aigrettes. Investigation 

 of a large number of alleged illegal shipments is now in progress. 



Violations of the Lacey Act reported for prosecution during the 

 year to the solicitor originated in the following States: California, 

 i; Colorado, 1; Idaho, 1; Louisiana, 1; Maine, 5; Minnesota, 2; 

 Montana, 2; New Hampshire, 4; Utah, 2; Vermont, 3; and Wash- 

 ington^ 1. Twenty-three cases involving violations of the Lacey Act 

 were disposed of in Federal courts. Seventeen prosecutions resulted 

 in conviction of the accused and the payment of fines ranging from 

 $2 to $1,000, the total amount of fines imposed being $1,917. The 

 other cases were not brought to trial. 



Sevent}^-six cases, many of them involving the shipment of beaver 

 skins, which for various reasons it seemed undesirable to prosecute 

 in Federal courts, were referred by the bureau to State officials for 



