18 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



wardens and seventy-eight deputy game wardens in Illinois who give all 

 their time to their duties, which include the enforcement of the statutes 

 relating to game and other birds and the prosecution of violators of those 

 statutes. It is also shown that the statutes make all constables of the state 

 ex-officio special deputy game wardens, without salary or expenses, as such, 

 but receiving one-half of all fines recovered for violation of the statute, in 

 cases where they file the complaint. Think what this last statement means ! 

 It means that there are several thousand potential friends and protectors 

 of the song birds in the state whose legal authority to arrest violators of 

 the law relating to bird protection is immediate and unquestioned. It means 

 that no bird flying over the state or nesting within its borders is at any time 

 remote from a possible protector and avenger. Suppose there were no such 

 law and some one should propose that the Audubon Society advocate one. 

 What fine talking points one could bring up in its favor ! The writer could 

 say, for example, that the nearest state game warden is twenty-three miles 

 from where this is being written but that there are three constables within 

 fifteen minutes walk from the same place and that any one of them may be 

 reached by the phone on this desk in less than a minute ! Well, it is almost 

 too good to be true, but we actually have such a law and it creates guard- 

 ians of song birds in every community. Truly, as Mr. Millard says, "It is 

 obvious that the enforcement of such laws as we have is fully as important 

 a matter as having secured their passage." 



And so we come to a final (and inevitable) suggestion (or two). It 

 is that each of us endeavor to make the acquaintance of the warden in our 

 particular district. Make friendly inquiry as to what he is doing or stands 

 ready to do for bird protection and encourage him by showing interest 

 in his work. Then get personally acquainted with each of the constables 

 in your immediate territory and ascertain whether they are fullv informed 

 as to their powers as special deputy game wardens. Encourage them to be 

 vigilant and compliment them when they are. Invite them to join the 

 Audubon Club or other organization of that kind nearest at hand. They 

 should be ex-officio members of the Illinois Audubon Society, anywav. 



For our Autumn Bulletin let us have reports from our members of inter- 

 views with wardens and constables (the Board of Directors of the Audubon 

 Society will give a prize to the person submitting the largest list of such 

 officials she or he will have interviewed before October 1st). Write up in 

 detail any official who does praiseworthy service and send in his photograph 

 for publication. As an incentive for doing work of this kind, fellow 

 Audubonites, please remember that one efficient constable in a district 

 where wild life is held in cheap regard may be of far more service to bird 

 life than a dozen persons who feel and thrill but do not act. 



Jesse L. Smith. 



