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THE OOLOGIST. 



Devoted to Birds and Birds' Eggs 



SECOND PUBLICATION YEAR. 



S. L. WiLLAUD &C0., 



Editors. 



SUBSCRIPTION 

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Authors. — Sketclies pertaining to our 

 branch of natural liistory may be sent us with 

 prices marked thereon. We will give them a 

 careful perusal, and if satisfactory, A\dll acr 

 cept them. None but original and authentic 

 sketches noticed. 



Eg(S-dealers and Collectors.— Pei-sons 

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 of communicating the fact to collectors of any 

 paper published. 



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Address all communications to 



THE OOLOGIST, 



Oneida Street, Utica-^N.^M 



NOVEMBER and DECEMBER, 187G,- 



W 



OUR GAME LAWS. 



0^0 much lias been said concerning the 

 *~-^ present game legislation in the United 

 States, that it seems as if it were impossi- 

 ble to state anything of interest on the sub- 

 ject of game protection. But when the ap- 

 palling fact that four-hundred deer have been 

 slain this winter in New York State alone, 



by the infamous method of " crusting," is 

 made known to us, it is quite time that suf- 

 ficient interest is taken in the subject, to 

 provide some more efficient means for the 

 protection of game. As fflr as the laws are 

 concerned, there is much less anxiety, tho' 

 some of them present a wide field, for cor- 

 rection and revision. The prime difficulty 

 is in enforcing the laws. Through the cen- 

 tral portion of this State, the game regula- 

 tions are heeded about as much as could be 

 expected of the numerous "pot-hunters" 

 and idle " sportsmen" who throng the. coun- 

 try ; and this is all due to the lack of game 

 constables. It is impossible to preserve 

 game Avithout someone to see that all known 

 violations of the game laws are promptly 

 punished, and that old ofl'enders are appre- 

 hended for every repetition of such, careless- 

 ness. It is a pleasure to know that the 

 sportsmen's associations are doing all in 

 their power towai'd the protection of game, 

 and if they give the cause such Attention as 

 present appearances would indicate the com- 

 ing season, tliere will be no scarcity of game. 

 We notice a feature in the laws of sever- 

 al States, notably those of Massachusetts 

 and Connecticut, that should be advocated 

 by the sportsmen of all the Middle States ; 

 thai; is, the extension of the close season for 

 Woodcock to the same period as for Grouse. 

 The corresponding present statute of New 

 York says that no Woodcock shall be killed 

 between January 1st and July 4th. The 

 close season for Rufied Grouse might just 

 as well be shortened to the 4th of July, if 

 this law is to continue, as more Grouse are 

 killed but of season by sportsmen who go 

 Wo6d6ock shooting than otherwise ; — the 

 temptation to shoot a Grouse when one is 

 seen,: is.; tioo! strong to be resisted. An a- 

 niendment might also be made to the sec- 

 tions regarding deer and Quail in this State, 

 fixing a period of a term of years, during 

 Which lio deer nor Quail shall be killed. 



Should any of our correspondents note 

 anything of interest during the spring mi- 

 grations, we should like to have them com- 

 municate the same to us for publication. 



