'io6 



Bird- Lore 



The disastrous experience of Pennsylvania 

 and some other states that adopted bounty 

 laws did not serve as a warning to Rhode 

 Island. Fortunately the taxpayers of a 

 •commonwealth always insist on the speedy 

 repeal of bounty laws as soon as the exces- 

 sive cost is realized. 



How men who claim to be intelligent, or 

 to represent the best interests of a commju- 

 nity, can pass a law to pay a bounty for de- 

 stroying beneficial birds is past under- 

 standing; it is parallel with a great deal of 

 the legislation of the present day, which is 

 often harmful, largely unnecessary and un- 

 warranted, and, in many instances, uncon- 

 stitutional. 



In New York state a determined effort to 

 repeal the law preventing spring shooting 

 of water-fowl was finally defeated; this 

 was only done, however, after the most 

 active resistance on the part of the orni- 

 thologists and other scientific men of the 

 state, and the sportsmen's associations; it 

 was a small section. Long Island, against 

 the balance of the state. That the result of 

 this law will work for good there is abso- 

 lutely no doubt, as the Long Island waters, 

 which are one of the great resting-places of 

 water-fowl during the northward migra- 

 tion, are now protected after the first of 

 January. 



From Maine it is reported to the Com- 

 mittee that the Eider Ducks are being shot 

 by the fishermen, notwithstanding all the 

 ■attempts that are made to protect the few re- 

 maining birds. There are probably not over 

 ICO pairs of Eider Ducks that still breed in 

 the state of Maine, and it seems as though all 

 public spirit and pride were lost when men 

 are selfish enough to wish to kill the very last 

 pair of birds breeding in their state, instead 

 of trying to foster and protect them, for the 

 benefit and enjoyment of descendants. Such 

 ideas may be too Utopian for the ordinary 

 ;man or woman, but it is necessary for the 

 Audubon Societies to spread them broad- 

 cast if birds are to be preserved for our 

 children and grandchildren. 



In New Jersey a second bill was intro- 

 duced to permi' the killing of Robins by 

 fruit-growers ; this bill was defeated by as 

 Jarge a vote as was the first bill. 



For three years the Audubon Society and 

 all the decent sentiment of the state of New 

 Jersey endeavored to pass a law to prevent 

 the shooting of Pigeons over traps; various 

 influences, not decent but very potent, de- 

 feated the bill for two years ; the third at- 

 tempt was made this year, and the history of 

 this legislation is so peculiar and so inter- 

 esting that it is given in detail as a warning 

 to legislators who do not respect public 

 opinion and as an encouragement to Audu- 

 bon workers. 



After the bill was introduced it was sent 

 to the Fish qnd Game Committee of the 

 House, and, notwithstanding all the eff^orts 

 to move it from that committee, it was held 

 until a short time before the close of the 

 session, when petitions began to flow into 

 the legislature in such numbers, demanding 

 that the bill be brought on the floor of the 

 House, in order that it might be acted upon, 

 that the committee dared not withstand pub- 

 lic opinion, and the bill was passed by a 

 very large majority. Unfortunately, only 

 five days of the session remained when the 

 bill was sent from the House to the Senate; 

 it was there referred to the Committee on 

 Miscellaneous Business, and the same tactics 

 were employed to defeat the bill that had 

 been employed in the House; it was not re- 

 ported out of the committee and the legis- 

 lature adjourned without the Senate having 

 an opportunity of acting on this bill which 

 had been passed almost unanimously in the 

 House. 



The feeling of indignation was so strong 

 in the state, as voiced by the press, that 

 Governor Murphy felt compelled to put the 

 taxpayers of the state to the expense of a 

 special and extra session of the legislature 

 in order to consider what was known as the 

 Pigeon Bill. Even at the special session of 

 the legislature there was one legislator who 

 had the effrontery to try and kill the bill ; 

 however, it was passed in a few moments, 

 after having been three years before the 

 legislature. This shows how the ordinary 

 politician respects a thoroughly aroused 

 public opinion. The work of the Audubon 

 Societies is primarily to arouse such public 

 opinion, both by education and organiza- 

 tion, so there will always be a demand for 



