Bird - Lore 



has already been re-enacted three times (in 

 1901, 1902 and 1903) since it was originally 

 passed in 1900, which has been construed 

 by the courts and the language of which is 

 now in a form which is generally under- 

 stood. 



(e) The bill is bad in policy in author- 

 izing an expenditure of $5,000 or more for 

 the employment of two special officers, 

 without the powers of ordinary protectors, 

 who may be on duty less than half the year 

 solely for the purpose of inspecting the 

 transactions growing out of the importations 

 of a single firm. How extensive these trans- 

 actions may be is perhaps disclosed by the 

 tax clause which is evidently intended to 

 rei-mbtrrse- the state- fot-th.e cost of inspec- 

 tion. At this rate, the importations would 

 aggregate at least 500,000 birds per annum. 



(5) Class Legislation. The bill is evi- 

 dently drawn in such a way as to be genera] 

 in form, but by restricting its operation to 

 "any city of the state having over one mil- 

 rion in population," it is practically limited 

 to the city of New York. In fact, on p. 4, 

 line I, the mask of general form is thrown 

 aside in the declaration that "a person, firm 

 or corporation importing said game, shall, 

 upon the arrival of said game into the port 

 of New York pay a tax, etc.," ignoring the 

 fact that such game might be imported via 

 Canada through the ports of Buffalo, 

 Niagara Falls, Ogdensburg, Plattsburg, 

 Sag Harbor, Oswego, Rochester, Dunkirk, 

 or Cape Vincent. The measure will work 

 injustice and hardship to every other city iti' 

 the state and to every game-dealer outside of 

 New York by granting exclusive privileges 

 in Greater New York for the importation 

 and sale of five kinds of foreign game birds 

 in large quantities during four months in 

 the year when the season is closed elsewhere 

 in the state. Careful scrutiny of the history 

 of the measure and of the restrictions of the 

 "person, firm or corporation importing said 

 game" will reveal the fact that the bill is aS 

 clearly drawn in the interests of a single 

 firm as if its title were "A bill to benefit A. 

 Silz & Co., of New York City." 



Massachusetts. — The bill referred to in 

 February Bird-Lore to "Authorize the 



Fish and Game Commission to take certain 

 unimproved lands upon the Island of 

 Martha's Vineyard" passed the Legislature 

 and is now a law. This act is really for the 

 purpose of enabling the Commission to con- 

 duct a scientific experiment of the greatest 

 value and interest, i. e., to preserve the very 

 small remnant of Heath Hens from extermi- 

 nation. This sole remaining colony of a 

 once numerous species of Grouse is in an 

 ideal situation in which to conduct the experi- 

 ment. Not more than one hundred birds 

 still remain, and the question of whether a 

 species so close to extermination can be 

 indefinitely continued will be watched with 

 the greatest interest by scientists in all parts 

 of the world. 



Connecticut. — In addition to the other 

 excellent game and bird laws adopted by 

 this state during the present legislature, a 

 law was secured providing for hunting 

 licenses for residents, non-residents and 

 aliens. A law was also passed "making 

 the possession in the open air on Sunday of 

 any implement for shooting, prime facie evi- 

 dence of an intention to hunt." 



Certainly the citizens of Connecticut have 

 reason to be proud of the very advanced 

 position held by the Commonwealth in the 

 great economic question of bird-protection. 



A Bison Herd in the Adirondacks 



The legislature of New York appropriated 

 $20,000 for the purchase of a herd of Bison 

 to be placed in the Adirondacks. Governor 

 Hughes vetoed the item, in view of the many 

 other demands on the treasury of the State. 

 In Massachusetts the citizens interested in 

 the perpetuation of the Heath Hen did not 

 ask for a state appropriation, but raised the 

 money themselves to carry on the experi- 

 ment. Had the same method been taken in 1 

 this state. Governor Hughes probably would' 

 have conceded the use of the necessary public 

 lands. Both of these instances emphasize t 

 thfe importance of not permitting a wild' 

 species to approach so near extermination as- 

 the Bison and Heath Hen, and also empha- 

 sizes the need of the proposed ten years, 

 closed season for the Wood Duck. 



