"^°8^^] Report oj Committee on Bird Protection. IO3 



through the legislature a bill which was subsequently signed by 

 the Governor and made a statute March 12, 1897. It is as 

 follows : 



"It shall be unlawful for any person within the State of Arkansas to 

 kill, wound or injure any wild bird other than the game birds, or to de- 

 stroy, disturb or rob the nest of any such bird, or to sell or expose for 

 sale, either dead or alive, any such bird, and it shall be unlawful for 

 any railroad company, express company, steamboat company or other 

 company or corporation, or private person, their agents, employes or ser- 

 vants to have in possession or receive for transportation or carriage or 

 for an^s other purpose whatever, any such birds or eggs; but this section 

 shall not only apply to English sparrows, crows, blackbirds, hawks, owls, 

 eagles and other bird of prey, nor shall it pi-ohibit any person from kill- 

 ing any such birds on his own premises, when in the act of destroying 

 fruit or other crop." 



In justice to Mrs. Stephenson's excellent work I cannot do 

 better than to give in full the two reports she has made to your 

 Committee. She writes : " How to protect the birds has been 

 with me the subject of grave consideration for many years, and 

 although willing and anxious to render service, I did not see 

 how to go about it until Circular 17, U. S. Agricultural Depart- 

 ment, came to me. The plan there suggested seemed a feasible 

 method of popularizing bird protection. Fifty-six of them were 

 sent out September, 1896, with the following circular of my own : 



"' Dear Sir: — I enclose a circular with the plea that its sub- 

 ject matter be given careful attention. 



" ' If you recall the fact that there are very few Mockingbirds 

 left in this country to day, you will not only agree something 

 should be done to protect this small remnant, but that the surest 

 way to accomplish that something is to teach the young people to 

 spare the lives of all birds. 



" ' Believing that with your aid, and that of other progressive 

 teachers, we can make Arkansas the Banner State in this line, I 

 beg you will permit me to add your name to the list of those 

 willing to cooperate with Messrs. Palmer and Babcock in their 

 noble work.' 



" But two replies were received to these, so from that date 

 personal letters were enclosed, and more circulars were asked for 



