THIRD BIENNIAL STATEMENT 191 



July 31. — The President issued the proclamation of the migratory 

 bird treaty and regulations. 



July 31. — A special open season on ducks in five counties in California 

 in which rice is extensively grown, was granted by the Secre- 

 tary of Agriculture from Sept. 30 to October 15 inclusive. This 

 action was taken after an investigation that disclosed the fact 

 that extensive damage was being done to those rice crops by 

 birds. 



Aug. 26. — The U. S. Dept. of Agriculture issued its first Service 

 and Regulatory Announcement under the terms of the migra- 

 tory bird treaty and regulations. 



Aug. 31. — By order of the New York State Conservation Commission 

 the open season on grouse in the state, not including Long Island, 

 was shortened, and the bag limit over the entire state was de- 

 creased from four to two birds per day, and from twenty to ten 

 in the season. This decision by the Commission was reached 

 after hearings had been held at New York City, Albany, Utica, 

 Malone, Rochester, Elmira and Goshen, at which it was pointed 

 out that a very serious shortage of ruffed grouse had existed 

 in the state for the last three years. The chief causes for the 

 decrease were given as cold, wet nesting-seasons which either 

 prevented the eggs from hatching, or caused the death of 

 the young birds; unusual inroads upon the grouse by vermin, 

 especially foxes, goshawks and great horned owls, and increased 

 hunting brought about by better roads and facilities for trans- 

 portation, and the extensive use of automobiles in grouse hunt- 

 ing. 



Oct. 25. — By Presidential proclamation certain amendments and ad- 

 ditions to the migratory bird treaty and regulations were carried 

 into effect. 



Nov. 4. — Mrs. Russell Sage, one of the founders of the Permanent 

 Wild Life Protection Fund, died at her home on Long Island. 

 See notice in Part 1 of this volume. 



Dec. 17. — J. Frank Callbreath, of Telegraph Creek, B. C, reported the 

 following incident: 



A Japanese restaurant keeper talked an Indian guide into 

 killing a cow moose for him, telling him that he had a special 

 license, etc. The Indian proceeded to kill the moose. He was 

 caught, and the Game Warden, Mr. Evans, pushed the case until 

 he was fined $250. 



Dec. 19. — The gold medal of the Permanent Wild Life Protection Fund 

 was conferred on John M. Phillips, for 12 years a very active 

 member of the State Game Commission of Pennsylvania, and a 

 great force in the protection of wild life and forests. The 

 presentation of the medal took place at the annual conservation 

 dinner of the Wild Life League of Pennsylvania at the William 

 Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh. 



1919 



Jan. 4. — The ranchers of Natrona County, Wyoming, organized to 

 cooperate with the U. S. Biological Survey in the control of 



