JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



"finds." I am aware that some of our 

 subscribers look for notices of 

 "clutches" of rare eggs and captures 

 of rare birds, and that if we see fit to 

 exclude such from our pages, we may 

 lose members thereby. But if we can 

 justify our action in refusing to pat- 

 ronize, as our official organ, a sporting 

 paper, the sole mission of which is to 

 publish to the world the shooting of 

 animals and birds and the capture of 

 trout and salmon, we can hardly justify 

 lauding in our own Journal the de- 

 struction of innocent song birds, 

 though it be in the cause of science ( ?) 

 I know, too, that subscribers have 

 sent in their resignation because such 

 articles have been printed and that 

 there are many persons ready to ally 

 themselves with those who adhere to 

 the priciple that every bird's liffe is 

 sacred. It was Wadsworth who said: 

 I would not enter on my list of friends, 

 Though graced with polished manner 



and fine sense 

 (Yet lacking sensibility), the man 

 Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm, 

 And the sooner we adopt this noble 

 sentiment for our motto, the sooner 

 we shall put ourselves right in the 

 eyes of many. A lack of such action 

 may defeat in a large measure one of 

 the very ends for which we are striv- 

 ing, viz., the protection of our birds. 



We have a commission at Augusta 

 heartily in sympathy with our society. 

 That commission stands ready to as- 

 sist us in every way. It has recently 

 sent to every milliner in the state a 

 copy of our Bird Law, and what is bet- 

 ter, it proposes to see the law enforc- 

 ed. I recommend the printing of that 

 law in every number of the Journal on 

 the inside page of the cover where it 

 can not be over looked by any one in- 

 to whose hands it may come. And I 

 further recommend that the society 

 send to every taxidermist a copy of 



the law, with a request to post it in 

 a conspicuous place in his workrooms. 

 No right minded man will refuse to do 

 so on the ground that it may injure 

 his business, for there is so much 

 game mounted in these days ,that 

 no taxidermist will lack for work. I 



know of one who does not hesitate to 

 condemn the wicked shooting of harm- 

 less birds that have been brought to 

 him for mounting. His action in this 

 matter has brought to light a surpris- 

 ing ignorance and indifference on the 

 part of the careless sportsman, but 

 has not failed to give this taxider- 

 mist prestege in the community with- 

 out in the least injuring his business. 

 One of Commissioner Carlton's regist- 

 ered guides fined his employer five dol- 

 lars for wantonly shooting a woodpeck- 

 er in the wilds of Maine. 



It is time, I say, to see to it that 

 these same registered guides do not 

 point out to us our bounden duty along 

 these lines. In a recent number of the 

 Lewiston Journal one of Lewiston's 

 leading merchants advertised black- 

 birds in unlimited numbers, 98 cents 

 only, for women's hats. There is yet 

 work for us to do. I wondered for a 

 long time how we snould go to work 

 to stop this unlawful sale of birds, but 

 without reaching any practical con- 

 clusion. But I now think I have dis- 

 covered the best method of procedure, 

 which is to further in every way in 

 our power the Fish and Game com- 

 missioners in securing convictions. I 

 wish we might have a commissioner 

 appointered, one who is thoroughly 

 posted in the science of ornithology 

 and who could look after this part of 

 the work. 



It is time for us to make a more 

 strenuous effort in securing the ap- 

 pointment of one of our members 

 whenever a vacancy occurs. 



There are two men who have aided 



