Americau, for the American policy of destruction which has 

 been so successful in the past allows unlimited freedom to all to 

 take or destroy every living wild thing upon the face of the 

 earth. Such license was necessarily permitted during the time 

 of settlement; but unless the people are restrained in their ra- 

 pacious tendencies, as population increases the extinction of all 

 wild game will result. Already the day of open and free shoot- 

 ing in the east has passed. The occupation of the market hunter 

 has become precarious, and necessary laws have been enacted, 

 — too late, indeed, to save some species of our game, but in time 

 to prevent the destruction of others. As population increases, 

 the number of shooters will increase ; and the present system of 

 game protection must and undoubtedly will be changed to fol- 

 low somewhat that of other countries, which, although more 

 thickly settled than our own, have nevertheless an abundance of 

 game in fields and coverts as well as in their markets. 



If we are to have game in the future, we must regulate hunt- 

 ing strictly, and adopt some system of game preserving, coupled 

 with artificial propagation of game. The policy of licensing 

 hunters, which has gone into effect in ISTew England, will re- 

 strict the number of hunters, particularly the alien hunters ; 

 and this is a long step in the right direction. Ignorant foreign- 

 ers, who come here without knowledge of our laws and with the 

 idea implanted in their minds that liberty in the new country 

 means license to do as they please, should not be allowed to 

 shoot at all or to range the country at large, unless some means 

 can be provided by which they may be controlled and identified. 

 Many of these people shoot all kinds of mammals and birds for 

 food, and the license fee of $15 exacted of them (for hunting) 

 stops most of the hunting by this class ; while those who con- 

 tinue to hunt must carry an identifying license, and have it 

 ready for the inspection of the citizen or game warden. Aliens 

 should be prohibited from hunting under all circumstances ; 

 but even with the alien eliminated from the field there will 

 still remain an army of hunters so vast that, with free shooting 

 allowed, the game will have little chance except in remote re- 

 gions. In 1914: about 65,000 hunters were licensed in Massa- 

 chusetts, and the number is constantly increasing. 



