74 



Bird - Lore 



bring to bag. It is astonishing how many 

 people are shot simply because irrespon- 

 sible hunters have seen a movement in 

 the bushes, and, without waiting to ascer- 

 tain what caused the disturbance of the 

 leaves, at once begin a fusillade, as if 

 endeavoring to sink a battle-ship. This 

 random shooting, indulged in by men 

 incompetent to handle a rifle, but who 

 fondly expect to thus slay a noble buck, is, 

 perhaps, the chief cause for this annual 

 human slaughter. 



It is reported that the past season wit- 

 nessed the death by hunting accidents of 

 loi people in twenty-three states. These 

 all occurred within a period of sixty days. 

 During the same time, thirty-seven others 

 were injured. Incidentally, the slaughter 

 of cattle and other domestic animals, from 

 the same cause, was considerable. 



Michigan is said to lead the list of 

 fatalities with i6 killed; 14 lost their 

 lives in Illinois, 13 in Wisconsin, 11 in 

 Maine, and 9 in New York state. This 

 terrific loss of life is surely an unnecessary 

 price to pay for the love of the chase; and 

 legislation looking to the preservation of 

 human life is evidently as much needed 

 among our game laws as legislation for 

 the protection of deer. Laws in some 

 states, intended to safe guard the hunters, 

 have already been considered, and various 

 suggestions have been made in regard to 

 bettering conditions. "Wear red shirts," 

 someone has said. "Do not shoot until 

 3'ou have seen the deer's horns," a second 

 advocates; while still another thinks it 

 might be well to sta}- at home, and let 

 some one else run the risk of being shot. 



The hunting season for the past year 

 has been about an average one in reference 

 to the number of game animals killed. 

 Maine, of course, furnishes one of the 

 best-known hunting-fields in the country, 

 and it may be interesting in this connec- 

 tion to record that about 300 moose are 

 supposed to have been taken there the 

 past season. Despatches from Bangor 

 state that the carcasses of 2,700 deer have 

 passed through that town, and the total 

 number killed in the state for the season 

 is estimated at about 11,000. — T. G. P. 



Funds Needed to Save the Egrets 



Mr. John Drydcn Kuser, of Newark^ 

 New Jersej-, one of our enthusiastic mem- 

 bers, has sent in a contribution for the 

 191 2 Egret Protection work, together 

 with the following letter, which he states, 

 that he would be glad to have brought tO: 

 the attention of the readers of Bird-Lore; 



"Last season (1911), $1,431 was raised 

 for the protection of Herons and Egrets. 

 More money is needed for the coming: 

 year, and will not some of the readers of 

 Bird-Lore furnish it? I am starting hy 

 giving $25, to which my father, Colonei 

 Anthony R. Kuser, has added $10 and my 

 mother, $5, making a total of $40. Can 

 we not double, or at least exceed, the 

 amount raised last year? 



"If money can be secured by the 

 National Association of Audubon Socie- 

 ties to pay wardens to protect the few 

 remaining colonies of the beautiful Ameri- 

 can Egret, these birds may be saved from 

 extinction; but if they are left unprotected 

 what is to stop the plume-hunters from 

 slaughtering the entire colony. Next 

 year may be too late; so, to help save the 

 Egret, bird-lovers must contribute to the 

 Egret Fund. Money will be received by 

 Mr. Jonathan D wight, Jr., Treasurer of 

 the National Association of Audubon So- 

 cieties, 1974 Broadway, New York City." 



A statement of results accomplished in 

 the work of protecting these rare and 

 beautiful birds during the past year will 

 shortly be mailed to all of the contributors- 

 to this work during the year of 191 1. In. 

 order that agents may be placed in the 

 field earl}' in the spring, to resume the 

 arduous and difiicult undertaking of 

 locating other colonies of Egrets in the 

 southern swamps, and in order that we 

 may have sufficient time to secure new 

 guards and renew contracts with wardens 

 employed last year, those persons inter- 

 ested in this phase of bird protection are 

 urged to seriouslj' consider the advisa- 

 bility of making special contributions to 

 the work of saving the Egrets, and to 

 advise us as early as possible regarding the 

 extent of their financial aid.— T. G. P. 



