IOWA ORNITHOLOGIST. 



this should be added at least 

 three birds, besides the injurious 

 raptores and corvidas, the Cow- 

 bird (Molothrus ater), the King- 

 fisher (Ceryle alcyon), and espec- 

 ially that renegade among birds, 

 the Blue Jay (C3^anocitta crista- 

 ta), and such others of the corvi- 

 dse as a study of bird life and 

 economics will prove to be of 

 more injur}^ than benefit to man. 

 In this code, too, no provision is 

 made for an open season on the 

 Mourning or Turtle Dove (Ze- 

 naidura macroura), and this bird 

 should, I think, be included 

 among our game birds and a 

 short open season established in 

 which it could be legally shot. 

 As it now stands, there are thous- 

 ands shot annually in our state 

 and all illegally. 



The last clause in regard to 

 collecting for scientific purposes 

 should be modified to legalize the 

 taking of nests and eggs on the 

 same conditions as taking birds. 



In the lavvs enacted by the 22d 

 General Assembly, Chapter 103, 

 Section i, we read: 



"That it shall be the duty of 

 every peace officer who may 

 have knowledge of any violation 

 of the provisions of section 4063 

 of the Code, to immediately file 

 inform'ation, against the person 

 so violating said provisions, be- 



fore some justice of the peace 

 having- jurisdiction of said offense 

 and to cause the arrest of such 

 person and to immediately give 

 the county attorney all informa- 

 tion within his knovvleJge con- 

 cerning such violation." 



This section needs no com- 

 ment except to suggest that the 

 peace officers are not competent 

 in themselves to secure a rigid 

 enforcement of the laws, and to 

 secure this a game warden and 

 at least two assistants are neces- 

 sary and these should receive a 

 salary instead of a part of the 

 fines imposed, as is customary in 

 the states having game wardens, 

 and it should be the duty of these 

 officers to cause the arrest and 

 punishment of all offenders 

 against the game laws. 



In the same chapter, Section 

 2, are the following provisions 

 for neglect of duty. 



"Any peace officer who may 

 have knowledge of any violation 

 of the provisions of said section 

 4063 and shall fail and neglect 

 to perform his duty as herein 

 specified shall be deemed guilty 

 of a misdemeanor and on convic- 

 tion thereof shall be fined not 

 less than two, nor more than ten 

 dollars." 



An officer of the law who is 

 guilty of neglect of duty is guilty 



