30 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



which might well be exterminated the owls are to be sought after for their 

 nightly and very efficient forays among mice and other destructive rodents. 

 Mr. Deane's paragraph appearing elsewhere in this Bulletin relating to the 

 unusual occurrence of barn owls in Northern Illinois this winter reveals the 

 fact that hunters at the places in Illinois therein mentioned have not only 

 been violating our present state law, which protects the owls, but that they 

 have also been committing acts of great stupidity. As Secretary Langdon 

 says, "Instead of greeting this valuable aid with a shot gun, every farmer 

 favored with his presence should give a barn dance and feast in honor of 

 his coming and taking up his abode on the farm." Here properly belongs 

 mention of a certain man, a champion among stupids, who hunted screech 

 owls in Jackson Park, Chicago, in order to remove "the nuisances." 



The List of Game Birds 



Audubonites do not like the provisions in Section 4 by which the mourn- 

 ing dove is included in the list of game birds and made to run the gauntlet 

 of an open season. To be sure it can be taken only from August 15 to 

 August 29 of each year, both inclusive, but it seems a crime to shoot so 

 useful and charming a bird. As to open seasons, the Audubon Society 

 favors the amendment of the law to make its provisions identical with the 

 regulations issued by the Biological Survey under authority conferred by 

 the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This would do away with the open season 

 from February 15 to March 31, both inclusive, on ducks, geese, brants, etc. 

 Warden Bradford has instructed his staff to urge strict conformity wherever 

 the state law does not conform to the provisions of the national law. This 

 is wise attitude on the part of the Warden and it should be confirmed by 

 necessary revisions of the law. 



Who Enforces the Law? 



The Division of Game and Fish of the State Department of Agriculture 

 is especially charged with the duty of securing "the enforcement of the 

 statutes of the state for the preservation and propagation of game, wild 

 fowl, birds, and fish," and of bringing, or causing to be brought, "actions 



and proceedings to recover any and all fines relating to game, wild 



fowl, birds, and fishes and to prosecute all violators of said statutes'." 

 Besides the specific responsibility laid upon the officers and employes of 

 the Division the law provides in general that "It shall be the duty of all 

 sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, coroners, constables, police officers, and all 

 other conservators of the peace to enforce the provisions of this? 

 Act." 



Now the staff of the Chief Warden consists of five inspectors, five in- 

 vestigators, and sixty or more "employes." This force is, of course, too 

 small in itself to cover the commonwealth of Illinois, and there are within 

 the state many large areas which necessarily r have not received any personal 

 attention by an official of the Division. It is possible for those of us who 

 are especially interested in the protection of non-game birds to get the 

 attention of an agent of the Division, but this is not, and probably can not 

 be, the general rule. 



