68 WILD LIFE PROTECTION FUND 



ingly. Then one hand was timidly raised. Presently an- 

 other stole up; and then others gathered courage and slid 

 up, until a total of 17 men held their hands aloft, and bore 

 false witness against Bob White! 



Really, it was an astounding exhibition; and as good as 

 a play. 



Another hearing was held later on at Riverhead, on May 

 7, with parallel results. The quail killers were out in great 

 force, and of the quail defenders only two or three were 

 present. 



The Conservation Commissioner felt impelled to decide 

 the case according to the preponderence of evidence. The 

 killers overwhelmingly swore away the lives of the quail of 

 Long Island, and the petition was denied. 



The writer personally saw the previous year at one of the 

 large country clubs of Long Island four sportsmen go out 

 with four dogs on the first day of the quail-shooting season, 

 and return at night with a total bag of one poor little hen 

 quail! Judge Alfred R. Page joined the writer in an effort 

 to secure the support of that club for better quail protection 

 on Long Island, but in vain. 



Now, we hear of one Long Island club on which the care- 

 taker traps the club's quail in December, pens them up and 

 and feeds them like sick babies all winter, then sets them 

 free again in the spring, for fall shooting as usual. 



Is not the quail hunter of Long Island a remarkable 

 animal ? 



But the quail of Long Island now are thoroughly doomed. 

 Part of the inhabitants are so mean, and the remainder are 

 so indifferent, that the only thing remaining to be done is 

 to write down the year in which Bob White becomes totally 

 extinct, just as the heath hen did about forty years ago. 



And we can stand it, if the Long Islanders can. 



