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Bird - Lore 



Missouri, but it had less than half a dozen 

 supporters. In 1899, the friends of the 

 birds and animals made a very forceful ef- 

 fort. The Audubon Society, of Missouri, 

 many independent lovers of nature and 

 sportsmen became thoroughly awakened. 

 They realized that a commercial interest 

 was blocking their efforts and exterminating 

 our many beautiful and useful creatures. 

 This commercial interest Cthe game dealers) 

 managed to retain their attorneys in seats in 

 the legislature, and block the passage of a 

 protective measure through the sessions of 

 1901 and 1903. In 1901, an ideal law 

 passed the House and would have passed 

 the Senate, but the chairman of the commit- 

 tee to which it was referred pocketed it 

 and it was not reported back from the com- 

 mittee. These were the sessions when it 

 was known that the Legislature was openly 

 and notoriously corrupt. Then came the 

 session of 1905, when the "Audubon Bill" 

 passed and was signed by the Governor, 

 although the attorney and representatives of 

 the dealers made strenuous efforts to prevent 

 it. The game dealers then organized as the 

 Missouri Country Produce Dealers' Associa- 

 tion, and placed paid men throughout the 

 state to create sentiment to repeal the law. 

 They spent great sums in printing and post- 

 age, in defeating candidates adverse to their 

 nefarious business and electing those candi- 

 dates who were friendly. By trading, threat- 

 ening and other corrupt methods, they 

 passed through both branches of the Legis- 

 lature a most grotesque caricature of a pro- 

 tective measure. And the Governor of 

 Missouri, in order to obtain the friendship 

 of these destroyers for his political advance- 

 ment, signed this measure, a measure that 

 allows the shooting of fawns and does in 

 night-time or by day, the running of fawns 

 or does with dogs, the seining of streams, 

 the selling of Quail and other game ; that 

 destroys the warden service, and is abso- 

 lutely without means of enforcement. The 

 most unfair methods were taken by the game 

 committees and the speaker of the House; 

 and now the timid and innocent deer, the 

 lordly Turkey, the magnificent Ruffed 

 Grouse, the dear little Bob-white, the 

 strange Woodcock, the strutting Prairie 



Chicken, the beautiful Wood Duck and all 

 other game of our picturesque wilds are to 

 be erased from Missouri forever. — Harry 

 R. Walmsley. 



North Carolina. — Considerable im- 

 provement was made at the last session of 

 the Legislature in the game laws. The Au- 

 dubon Society's bill providing for a close 

 season on Woodcock, and making it illegal 

 to sell game-birds during that period of the 

 year when they cannot be killed legally, 

 was passed, and this will doubtless be the 

 means of saving the lives of thousands of 

 birds annually. As usual, a large number 

 of local county laws were enacted, but, 

 almost without exception, these were of a 

 more restrictive character. A few counties 

 absolutely prohibit the killing of Quail and 

 deer for a term of years. Laws were also 

 passed for several counties providing for the 

 protection of English Pheasants for a num- 

 ber of years, and the State Audubon So- 

 ciety will conduct experiments in raising 

 these interesting game-birds for stocking 

 purposes. 



The general sentiment of the Legislature 

 was manifestly more favorable to bird and 

 game protection than heretofore, a marked 

 instance of the result of Audubon educa- 

 tional activity. 



The Audubon Society of North Carolina 

 has recently purchased four islands in Pam- 

 lico Sound in order to give permanent pro- 

 tection to the large colonies of sea-birds 

 which breed there. One of these islands is 

 locally known as "Royal Shoal" and the 

 other three collectively are called the 

 "Legged Lumps." These are the main 

 breeding places of the sea-birds along the 

 North Carolina coast, at least eight thou- 

 sand young birds having been raised there 

 last summer. The species breeding on the 

 islands are Laughing Gulls, Royal Terns, 

 Wilson's Terns, Least Terns, the largest 

 colony of this species in the country. Black 

 Skimmers and American Oyster-catchers. 

 The islands are in the care of Game-warden 

 N. F. Jennette, who patrols that territory 

 throughout the breeding season, in the large 

 Audubon launch " Dutcher."— T. Gilbert 

 Pearson. 



