State Reports 103 



humane education are attracting considerable attention. Mrs. Henrietta 

 E. Foster, of Tecumseh, who has been urging the passage of a humane 

 education law, quotes a letter from the State Superintendent of Public 

 Education in South Dakota, where humane education is taught in the 

 schools: "It has a tendency to create a desire for nature study, not only 

 with the small children, but with those of the higher grades. It has also 

 tended to increase the birds. The boys who were in the habit of climbing 

 trees and destroying nests now see a study in this subject. I believe that 

 great good will come from it in many ways. It will make more careful 

 boys and girls, as well as better educated men and women." Mrs. Foster 

 adds: "You will notice that the effects on increase of birds and protection 

 of them accords with my claim that such would be the result of a humane 

 education law. I am glad to know that it has been proven to be a fact. 

 I believe in a stringent law to protect the birds, but that alone is not 

 sufficient; the humane education of the children should go with it. The 

 little it has been taught in the public schools in this territory has entirely 

 changed the nature of the boys who have been given the instruction, as to 

 their manner of treatment of birds; like the boys of Dakota, they have 

 changed the killing of birds and robbing of nests to the protection and 

 study of them." 



The press are not silent on the subject of bird protection, as is shown by 

 the following excellent editorial from the New Kirk 'Democrat Herald': 

 "It is likely at the sessions of the territorial legislature an effort will be 

 made to have more stringent game laws passed. A small per cent of the 

 larger kinds of game is left in Oklahoma, but what there is, the sportsmen 

 would like to protect as much as possible. The chief aim now, however, 

 will be to afford better protection for birds such as Quail and Prairie 

 Chickens, both of which are still quite abundant in several sections. The 

 Quails are said to be especially beneficial on farms, as they are one of the 

 best pest -killers known, and on that account the farmers will be glad of the 

 ■passage of a law which will insure their feathered friends more protection." 



Oregon. — At the request of this Committee, State Game Warden 

 Baker sent two deputy wardens to the southeastern portion of the state to 

 give special protection to the birds breeding in the extensive and numerous 

 shallow lakes in that region. The sum of one hundred and fifty dollars 

 was paid from the Thayer Fund on account of the salary of the wardens, 

 the balance being paid by the state. 



Very few attempts at violation of the law were reported, the worst 

 offenders being hunters from California who cross the line, hunt and 

 return before they can be captured. Chief Warden Baker states: "The 

 wardens arrived at the breeding grounds at least two months too early, as 

 owing to late snows and high water the breeding season was late." 



