282 Bird -Lore 



exists between them and agriculture. If we can devise some means of imparting 



sucli Ivuowledge to the whole mass of the people, we will most surely show them 



that it is to their interest to preserve birds; and, when we have succeeded in 



doing this, the result desired — the preservation of birds — will surely follow. 



That the ])rescnt knowledge of this important economic subject is lamentably 



deticient is a self-evident fact which is shown in many ways. 



Present Lack Among a great manv people, chiefl\' agriculturists, there still 

 of Knowledge . " . . . ' 



exists a deep-seated prejudice against Hawks and Owls, which 



are now known to be of the very highest value. In a recent government publi- 

 cation, Dr. Fisher says, "The sooner farmers, ranchmen, horticulturists and 

 nurser\men learn that the great majority of birds of prey are their friends and 

 deserve protection, the sooner will depredations by noxious rodents and insects 

 diminish. " 



Unfortunatel}-, this knowledge is still largely in the hands of a restricted 

 class of persons who have made a scientific study of the habits of such birds, 

 and until it is widely diffused among the public it is of little value. It is our duty 

 to see that this knowledge is given to the people; when it is, prejudice will be 

 supplanted by protection to the inestimable benefit of agriculture. It is also 

 shown by the mass of contradictory bird laws now upon the statute books of 

 the Commonwealths of the country. Local and selfish interests are the basis 

 of many of the existing laws. The beneficial laws that have been secured in the 

 past decade are largely the result of the small measure of education that has been 

 im])artcd b}' this Association, and its allies, the scientists in the United States, 

 who are slowly but surely collecting and arranging facts and data of the utmost 

 value. When this information has been imparted to the public, we hope, by this 

 Association, the people will voice their wishes to legislators; and, as a result, 

 laws will be enacted that will be national in their far-reaching elYect, replacing 

 statutes which cover only restricted districts. Only ignorance and selfish local 

 interests permit entirely contradictory bird laws to control in areas separated 

 only by an imaginary line, or laws that permit the trafific by a restricted class of 

 persons in assets that belong to the whole people. Nor will it be p(,)ssible for a 

 legislative body to be so controlled by partisan political influences that it defeats 

 measures introduced for the benefit of a Commonwealth. 



The conservation of the natural resources of the country is one of the subjects 



that is now beginning to engage the attention of the ])ul)lic, and 



Importance among its seveial divisions one of the most important is the careful 



of Such , , . . ., 1 IT ri-., • r 1 • 



Knowledge ^^"'1 frugal use of its Wild life. 1 he vast importance of this move- 

 ment is just beginning to be realized. It is a fact not to the credit 

 of the jjublic that the present generation is selfishly wasteful of the natural wealth 

 of the country. The original owners of the land, we are told in " Purchas Pil- 

 grimage, "'were taught to husband the earth and the trees. Today wild life is 

 wasted to the point of extermination, in some instances; and within the lifetime 

 of many of the members of this Association, several species of birds have become 



