ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



BULLETIN 



Published by the New York Zoological Society 



Vol. XVI 



MAY, 1913 



Number 57 



WILD LIFE PROTECTION WORK OF THE 

 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



S 



EVERAL years have elapsed since the 

 publication of the previous wild life pro- 

 tection number of this Bulletin. During 

 that interval several great tasks have been un- 

 dertaken, and important victories have been 

 won. It now seems desirable to offer to mem- 

 bers of the Society a Bulletin containing full 

 reports of the activities that thus far have been 

 touched upon in our Annual Reports only in 

 the most brief manner. The Society's record 

 of things accomplished in this field may fairly 

 be regarded as a unique exhibit, because up to 

 tliis date no other zoological institution or cor- 

 poration has interested itself vigorously and per- 

 sistently in the prevention of the extermination 

 of species. 



The sportsmen of America, and of the world 

 at large, preserve game to-day in order to kill 

 it tomorrow, a motive essentially selfish and 

 merciless. It is only a very small minority of 

 sportsmen who have progressed upward so far 

 that they desire to preserve wild birds and 

 mammals in order that the world may enjoy 

 them alive! 



This Society takes little interest in the pres- 

 ervation of game in order that it may subse- 

 quently be slaughtered. To-dav our great 

 concern is for the preservation of species from 

 extinction, and the retention of all the useful 

 and beautiful forms of life, for present peoples 

 and for posterity. The exigencies of the times 



laid upon the Zoological Society a burden of re- 

 sponsibility that could not be evaded or ignored ; 

 hence our enlistment in this great campaign. 



The tremendous onslaughts now being made 

 upon wild life by a great variety of forces, 

 loudly call for vigorous warfare on the part of 

 all men and women who would save our best 

 wild life from annihilation. The enormous 

 number of guns and gunners, dogs, horses, 

 boats and automobiles operating against kill- 

 able birds and mammals are. when viewed en 

 masse, enough to alarm any friend of wild life. 

 Fortunately, the conditions of the hour con- 

 stantly call forth new fighting men. During 

 the past five years the Army of Destruction has 

 been beaten in many campaigns, and it will be 

 still further driven back in the near future. 



The Bayne No-Sale-of-Game Law. 

 This measure marked the beginning of a new 

 period of fierce fighting for wild life, and at the 

 same time it ushered in a series of victories. It 

 may well be chosen as the starting-point of this 

 review of recent events. 



In the fall of 1910, certain interests making 

 for the destruction of wild life went up to Al- 

 bany with a fixed determination to repeal the 

 excellent laws recently enacted against late 

 winter and spring shooting and the sale of wild 

 birds' plumage for millinery in the State of 

 New York. The strength of this destructive 

 movement rendered the outlook very serious. 



