244 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BIRD WORLD 



8,058 Snow Buntings! 7,560 Grouse, 



7,607 Sandpipers! 4,385 Quail, 



5,218 Plover! 1,756 Ducks, 



7,003 Snipe, 288 Bobolinks, 



788 Yellow Legs, 96 Woodcock. 



And all this in one cold-storage warehouse, for poor, 

 starving New York! 



To the public it was a profound surprise to find that 

 snow buntings and sandpipers were being slaughtered by 

 thousands for food. At that time at least half a dozen 

 species of song-birds were served on bills of fare under the 

 name of "reed bird." This fact is equivalent to a notice that 

 hereafter no bird is safe from the deadly "market-shooter," 

 and only the strictest watch and the severest measures will 

 save any considerable portion of our birds. 



But a better day has dawned over New York. The en- 

 actment of the justly famous "Bayne law" (1911), absolutely 

 closing all markets, hotels and restaurants in New York 

 state against the sale of native wild game of all kinds, wrought 

 for New England a revolution. In 1912 Massachusetts 

 followed the good example of New York; and in 1913 Cali- 

 fornia, after a long and bitter fight, passed similar laws which 

 to-day the enemies of wild life are trying hard to repeal. 



Protect the Birds. — The birds are the natural pro- 

 tectors of the farm, the garden, the orchard and the forests 

 from the hordes of insects which without them ravage leaf, 

 flower and fruit. But for the hawks and owls, the wild mice 

 and rats soon would multiply into an intolerable pest. But 

 for the insectivorous birds, destroying grubs and perfect in- 

 sects by the million, the life of the farmer, fruit-grower and 



