﻿The Audubon Societies 



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of the Ohio Audubon Society and a liberal 

 use of educational leaflets on Hawks. Several 

 bills were introduced for the purpose of 

 improving the present game- and bird-laws, 

 but, unfortunately, they were all lost. 



Virginia. — Several bills were introduced 

 for the purpose of establishing a Game 

 Commission to be supported by resident 

 and non-resident hunters' licenses. 



Three of the officers of the Association 

 visited Richmond for the purpose of speak- 

 ing before the Senate Game Committee in 

 behalf of the measures, but the effort was 

 not successful. The work done, however, 

 was not without its value, as it was educa- 

 tional and will have a good effect on future 

 legislation. 



Only one amendment to the present game- 

 law was made; in some respects this was 

 beneficial, as it makes it unlawful to kill or 

 capture any wild water-fowl or Wild Turkey 

 at night, or to capture them in traps, nets 

 or other contrivances, or to use reflectors 

 or other lights or sneak-boats or artificial 

 islands, or to use a gun larger than an 

 eight bore. In other respects the amend- 

 ment was retrograde, as it makes an open 

 season on Robins from February 15 to 

 April 1. This feature was protested against, 

 but without avail. 



Kentucky. — Some bad bills were intro- 

 duced in the Assembly, but fortunately they 

 all failed of passage, with the result that the 

 game and bird statutes remain unchanged. 

 One was to repeal the non-sale provision of 

 the present law relative to Wild Ducks, 

 Pheasants, Grouse, Partridges or Quail 

 killed within the state; a second was to re- 

 peal the present law prohibiting the taking 

 of Quail, Partridge or Pheasant by means 

 of net, box, trap or snare ; another was to 

 repeal the following: "No person shall 

 catch, kill or pursue with such intent, or 

 have the same in possession after it has been 

 caught or killed, any Quail, Partridge or 

 Pheasant between the first day of January 

 and the fifteenth day of November of each 

 year," and still another was to amend the 

 present law relative to Wild Geese and 

 Wild Ducks by making the open season 

 close the first day of May instead of the first 

 day of April. 



On the other hand, House Bill No. 403, 

 introduced for the purpose of making the 

 open season on Doves only six weeks instead 

 of six months, was unfortunately defeated. 

 The lack of a large and active Audubon 

 Society in Kentucky is very much felt. 



Massachusetts. — Large numbers of bills 

 relative to birds and game were introduced 

 in both branches of the legislature, and, as 

 usual, they created a great deal of debate. 

 An attempt was made to amend the section 

 of the statute which permits the killing of the 

 Herring Gull and the Great Black-backed 

 Gull between the first day of November and 

 the first day of May following, practically 

 the only time when these birds are found in 

 Massachusetts. It is greatly to be regretted 

 that the bill failed of passage, and that these 

 birds still receive no protection. 



Massachusetts is the only Atlantic coast 

 state that does not protect these two species 

 of Gulls. It does not seem right for this 

 Commonwealth to refuse to protect birds that 

 are so carefully guarded by all the other 

 states. Further, it is a great hardship for 

 the Audubon Societies to spend large 

 amounts of money each year to protect the 

 Herring Gull on its breeding-grounds and 

 then to have them killed on the Massa- 

 chusetts coast after the breeding season is 

 over. The bird-loving public of Massa- 

 chusetts should take this important matter 

 in hand, and should be so insistent about it 

 that the next General Court would have to 

 respect their wishes. 



A decided gain was made relative to 

 shortening the open seasons for wild fowl; 

 an especially wise provision being a close 

 season on the Wood Duck until the first day 

 of September, 191 1 . 



An act to prevent the extermination of the 

 Heath Hen is now a law, having been ap- 

 proved March 7. It reads as follows: "It 

 shall be unlawful to hunt, take or kill that 

 species of Pinnated Grouse called Heath 

 Hen, and scientifically known as Tympanu- 

 chus cupido, or to buy, sell, otherwise dis- 

 pose of, or have in possession the same or 

 any part thereof, previous to the first day of 

 November in the year 191 1. 



" Whoever violates any provision of this act 

 shall be punished by a fine of one hundred 



