The Audubon Societies 



145 



the committee wisely reported against 

 most of the pernicious legislation that 

 was referred to them; nevertheless, a bill 

 to allow fruit-growers to kill cedar birds, 

 passed the house; but your agent went to 

 Montpelier at this juncture, and the bill 

 was killed in the senate. 



A bill was passed to establish a closed 

 season of five years on the Bartramian 

 Sandpiper, or Upland Plover. All the 

 efforts of the friends of the birds were 

 directed to the attempt to pass a bill for 

 the registration of resident hunters, which 

 was finally enacted, although so amended 

 that it will probably produce only one- 

 half the revenue for bird-protection that 

 it might have furnished if passed as origi- 

 nally drawn. 



Game Commissioner Thomas and Presi- 

 dent Carlton D. Howe of the Vermont 

 Audubon Society, deserve great credit for 

 their courageous fight to secure the passage 

 of this bill. 



New Hampshire. — Here practically 

 all adverse legislation was killed in com- 

 mittee, largely through the efforts of Game 

 Commissioner Nathaniel Wentworth. The 

 great effort of the year was made to secure 

 the passage and enactment of the bill for 

 the registration of resident hunters, and 

 your agent exerted all possible influence 

 in its favor. 



Here, again. Commissioner Wentworth 

 did splendid work. The bill was stoutly 

 opposed, but finally passed both houses by 

 a large majority, and, after due consider- 

 ation, was signed by the Governor. 



Massachusetts. — Here, again, many 

 vicious bills 'were introduced, and most 

 of them have been defeated, although a 

 few are still pending. Among those de- 

 feated were: 



(i) An attempt to take the enforcement 

 of the law from the hands of the Fish and 

 Game Commission. 



(2) A bill to establish an open season 

 on Gulls. 



(3) A bill to permit shooting on lands 

 of the Metropolitan Water Board. 



(4) A bill to permit the killing of Ducks, 

 Gulls, and other water fowl on reservoirs 

 of the Metropolitan Water Board. 



(5) A bill to repeal the law for the 

 registration of hunters, passed in 1908. 



Also many other bills, extending the 

 open season for game birds, etc. Others 

 are still pending. The effort to stop spring 

 shooting, which was defeated in 1908, was 

 renewed this year with added strength. 



Two bills, drawn by your agent, were 

 introduced by Representative Gates, of 

 Westboro. The first prohibited the killing 

 and sale of shore birds from January i 

 until August 15, annually, and established 

 a perpetual closed season on the Killdeer 

 and Piping Plover. The other protected 

 Swans at all times and seasons, and fixed 

 the closed season on Wild Ducks, Geese 

 and Brant from January i to September 

 15. Both these bills were vigorously 

 opposed from the beginning, and were 

 reported adversely by the Committee on 

 Fisheries and Game; nevertheless, they 

 have passed both houses. 



The shore-bird bill is now in a confer- 

 ence committee because of a disagreement 

 on an amendment, and the wild-fowl bill 

 has not reached the Governor, as this 

 goes to the printer. Much credit for the 

 success thus far attained should be given 

 to Representatives White, of Brookline, 

 and Gates, of Westboro, to Mr. E. N. 

 Coding, a sportsman whose assistance has 

 been invaluable, and to the many members 

 of the National Association and the 

 Massachusetts Audubon Society, who 

 have worked loyally for the cause. 



Dr. G. W. Field, a director of the Massa- 

 chusetts Audubon Society, has left no 

 stone unturned. General Morris Schaff, 

 Mr. Wm. R. Sears, Mr. Edward L. 

 Parker, and scores of other sportsmen, have 

 not spared themselves in this work. 

 Former Attorney- General Herbert Parker 

 has been prominent among the advo- 

 cates of the prohibition of spring shooting. 



Rhode Island. — No adverse legisla- 

 tion was passed. The hunters' registra- 

 tion or license bill was enacted and ap- 

 proved, after a long, stubborn and tedious 

 fight. Lobbying against this bill went on 

 practically every day while it was pending. 

 Notwithstanding this stubborn opposition, 

 it was passed by a large majority in both 



