Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 499 



an abundance of food. The State League convention, which was booked for 

 St. Paul the last week of August, was canceled, due to war conditions which have 

 taken hundreds of our members into the Government service. Although the 

 convention was canceled, it does not mean that the League will go backward, 

 but rather that it will hold its present position and use its powers during the 

 19 19 session of the state legislature to bring about such changes as are thought 

 necessary to better conserve and increase the wild life in the state. 



Our investigations of the conditions of the various species of wild life in the 

 state show that the Quail, which are found in the southern portions of the 

 state, have come back in fine shape, due to weather conditions being in every 

 way satisfactory this past year and the last winter not being a bad one in 

 Minnesota. The cutting in half of the bag-limit and season by the last legis- 

 lature has, of course, helped considerably in conserving the Quail. The Ruffed 

 Grouse seem to have increased, the closed season, which started in 19 17 for 

 three years, having already produced results. Pinnated Grouse have shown a 

 nice increase. Aquatic fowl, so far, do not seem as plentiful as last year, which 

 is no doubt due to many of our best breeding- and feeding-grounds being dried 

 up. However, no fairly accurate account can be made until the season is over. 



The increase in upland birds can be credited to the following: Shorter 

 seasons; smaller bag-limits; better law-enforcement; ideal weather conditions ; 

 and probably the most credit is due the game refuges, which now cover approxi- 

 mately 2,000,000 acres of land. The latter cause has without doubt saved 

 the moose, as they are quite plentiful in the great Superior Refuge in north- 

 eastern Minnesota. Deer are quite plentiful. Briefly — game conditions in 

 Minnesota are quite satisfactory. The game refuges and better control of the 

 predatory species has not only helped the game, but has had a wonderful effect 

 upon the song and insectivorous birds. Farmers in the refuge districts tell me 

 that they lost less through the ravages of insects the past year than any pre- 

 vious year, due to the enormous increase in the insectivorous species. 



Blackbirds, in some districts, destroyed an immense amount of corn this 

 year, but I notice that there have apparently been more people that have eaten 

 Blackbird potpie this past season than any previous time that I know about. 

 As the dehciousness of this dish becomes better known, I feel that the Black- 

 birds will be brought down to the place, within a very few years, where they 

 will do but very Httle damage. It has, of course, been fortunate that the Black- 

 bird is not protected. The Minneapolis Branch of the League still maintains 

 warden service on the refuges in this district, and is in about the same position 

 as it was at this time last year, excepting that many of our best workers are 

 now in the army. — Frank D. Blair, Secretary. 



Natural History Society of British Columbia (Can.). — ^As we do not hold 

 meetings in the summer, it is rather hard to get hold of news from members 

 until the fall meetings begin. However, J. R. Anderson has obtained from W. F. 



