The Audubon Societies 



263 



TO STOP THE SALE OF GAME 



An important bill is pending in Con- 

 gress, having for its object the prohibition 

 of the sale of game in the District of 

 Columbia. It is rather a significant fact 

 that, in more than forty states of the 

 Union, restriction exists on the sale of 

 native wild game. It is perfectly apparent 

 to anyone that as long as there is an open 

 market for Quail, Wild Turkeys, Wood- 

 cock, Prairie Chickens, and Wild Ducks, 

 just so long will these various game- 

 birds be hunted with the greatest energy 

 by men who, as a class, have little regard 

 for game laws, and whose desire is to make 

 money by marketing the products of their 

 skill with firearms. 



Stopping the sale of game is therefore 

 one of the most important principles 

 involved in the subject of wild-life pres- 

 ervation. In Washington, however, game 

 can be sold openly in the markets, much as 

 it could throughout the country during 

 those days when wild Pigeons used to be 

 sold for six cents a dozen. 



No congressman, it seems, has been 

 sufficiently interested in the subject to 

 introduce a bill in Congress to restrict this 

 traffic. Recently, however. Representative 

 Graham, of Illinois, launched such a bill. 

 Much credit is due Mr. W. P. Bolton, of 

 New York City, for his persistent efforts in 

 behalf of this measure. On April 23, 1918, 

 a hearing was given on the bill before the 

 District of Columbia Committee. Among 

 others who appeared in behalf of the bill 

 was Herbert K. Job, representing the 

 National Association. Reports of what 

 took place that day all indicate that the 

 Committee will shortly report the bill for 

 favorable consideration. 



Now the question is, will it be possible 

 to get it up for a vote before Congress 

 adjourns. With all the war measures 

 crowded in for attention, there is a pos- 

 sibility that it may be side-tracked until 

 another session of Congress. However, 

 the bill will be pushed if necessary for 

 years until success comes. 



THE PENNSYLVANIA PLUMAGE LAW 



A letter to "all licensed taxidermists in 

 Pennsylvania," bearing the date of Feb. 

 15, 1918, has been issued by Dr. Joseph 

 Kalbfus, Secretary of the Pennsylvania 

 Board of Game Commissioners. 



In this letter attention is called to a 

 recent change in the laws of that state in 

 reference to the sale of the plumage of 

 wild birds. Under the old law the Presi- 

 dent of the Board of Game Commissioners 

 had the right, at his discretion, to permit 

 a taxidermist to sell mounted specimens of 

 birds, whether legally or accidentally killed 

 in that state. There was also no law 

 against the sale of feathers of foreign 

 birds, unless belonging to the same 

 family as birds protected in the state. Dr. 

 Kalbfus now serves notice that such sales, 

 either by taxidermists or milliners, are no 

 longer legal. 



"The new law,*' he writes, "forbids the 

 sale of feathers taken from wild birds, with- 



out qualification, so that at this time you 

 would have no right to sell, or offer to sell, 

 or have in possession for sale, a Crow, or a 

 Hawk, or a Blue Jay, or a Kingfisher, or 

 any other bird without first securing per- 

 mission to do so by the President of the 

 Board of Game Commissioners of Penn- 

 sylvania, and such permission will not be 

 granted, except in instances where the 

 Commonwealth itself may be benefited, 

 as, for instance, a sale to a public museum, 

 or to public schools, or for educational 

 purposes." 



The new law prohibits absolutely the 

 sale of the feathers of all wild birds in 

 Pennsylvania. The contention of Dr. 

 Kalbfus, expressed in a personal letter, 

 that this places Pennsylvania in the lead of 

 all states in the Union in the matter of 

 suppressing the feather traffic, most 

 assuredly is borne out by the facts in the 

 case. 



