APPENDIX. 339 



The State Board, through its efficient secretary, Thomas J. Edge, Esq., labored 

 most industriously to show the economic value of the raptorial birds, and secure 

 the repeal of that part of the " Bounty Act" relating to the hawks and owls. 



The subjoined report, entitled the " Bounty or 'Scalp' Act of 1885," by Thomas J. 

 Edge, Esq., will give a very clear idea of the efforts made by the State Board through 

 its energetic secretary : 



" THE BOUNTY OB ' SCALP ' ACT or 1885. 



44 During its session of 1885, the Legislature enacted the following act for the de- 

 struction of wolves, wildcats, foxes, minks, hawks, weasels and owls in this Com- 

 monwealth : 



"SECTION I. Be it enacted, etc., That for the benefit of agriculture and for the pro- 

 tection of game, within this commonwealth, there is hereby established the follow- 

 ing premiums for the destruction of certain noxious animals and birds, to be paid 

 by the respective counties in which the same are slain, namely, for every wildcat 

 two dollars, for every red or gray fox one dollar, for every mink fifty cents, for 

 every weasel fifty cents, for every hawk fifty cents, and for every owl, except the 

 Arcadian, Screech or Barn owl, which is hereby exempted from the provisions of 

 this act, fifty cents. 



"SECTION 2. It shall be the duty of any person, having killed any animal or bird 

 mentioned in the first section of this act, and who is desirous of availing himself of 

 the premiums therein provided, to produce such slain animal or bird before any 

 magistrate, alderman or justice of the peace of the county in which the same was 

 killed, and make affidavit of the time and place of killing the same : Provided, 

 That the pelt, if entire from the tip of the nose of any such animal, may be produced 

 in lieu of the same, when so preferred ; and upon the reception of any such animal 

 or pelt, or bird, it shall be the duty of such magistrate, alderman or justice of the 

 peace, in the presence of said person killing such animal or bird, and one elector of 

 the county, to cut off the ears of such animal or the head of such bird, and in the 

 presence of said persons burn the same. 



"SECTION 3. Upon the destruction of the ears or heads as aforesaid, the magis- 

 trate, alderman or justice of the peace shall give to the person producing such 

 animal or bird, a certificate of compliance with the provisions of this act directed to 

 the commissioners of the county in which such animal or bird was slain, which 

 certificate shall contain the following facts : the kind of animal or bird killed, when, 

 where and by whom killed, and the date by whom and in the presence of what 

 elector the ears of said animal or head of said bird was destroyed, and upon the pro- 

 duction of such certificate the said commissioners shall give an order upon the 

 county treasurer for the payment of the premium or premiums provided by this act; 

 and it shall be the further duty of the magistrate, alderman or justice of the peace 

 taking the affidavit, provided in the second section of this act, to file the same forth- 

 with, or cause the same to be filed in the office of the commissioners of the county, 

 and upon filing the same, the said magistrate, alderman or justice of the peace shall 

 receive from the county treasurer, the sum of twenty cents, in full compensation for 

 all services under this act. 



"Quite early in 1886, the correspondence of the Board developed the fact that there 

 existed among farmers, taxpayers and the several county officers of the state, a 

 widespread dissatisfaction at the workings and effect of the law. It also was evident 

 that in some one of its many forms, this act would be brought to the notice of the 

 present legislature, and the secretary of the Board deemed it advisable to collect all 

 possible data on either side of the question, and place it in such a form as would be 

 readily available when wanted. As a step in this direction, a circular was prepared 

 and sent to every board of county officers in the state, asking for information upon 

 the following points, viz : 



" 1. The total amount of bounty actually paid from each county treasury up to 

 November 1, 1886. 



