Birds of Indiana. 517 



of the material for the keys and descriptions found herein. In addi- 

 tion I have consulted Dr. Wheaton's Birds of Ohio, Mr. Mcllwraith's 

 Birds of Ontario, Prof. Cook's Birds of Michigan, Mr. Eidgway's Birds 

 of Illinois, Dr. Hatch's Birds of Minnesota, Dr. "Warren's Birds of 

 Pennsylvania, Mr. Chapman's Birds of Eastern Worth America, Maj. 

 Bendire's Life Histories of North American Birds, Mr. Nehrling's 

 North American Birds, the reports of Professors Eling and Forbes on 

 the food of birds, and numerous other publications, from all of which 

 I have used more or less material. For this I desire to acknowledge my 

 indebtedness to those authors and to others to whose works reference 

 is made herein. 



It has been my purpose not to include within this list any bird 

 which has not been ascertained to occur within the State and not to 

 note any species as having bred unless I have been satisfied upon good 

 authority that it has done so. I have added a supplemental list of 

 species which, from their having been taken near our limits, may, 

 willi greater or less probability, be expected to be found within the 

 State. 



THE INDIANA BIRD LAW. 



In 1891 the Legislature, at the request of the Indiana Academy of 

 Science and the Indiana Horticultural Society, enacted the following 

 law for the protection of our native beneficial birds: 



"AN ACT for the protection of birds, their nests and eggs. 

 ( Approved March 5, 1891.) 



"Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of 

 Indiana, That it shall be unlawful for any person to kill any wild bird 

 other than a game bird or purchase, offer for sale any such wild bird after 

 it has been Itilled, or to destroy the nests or the eggs of any wild bird. 



"Sec. 2. For the purpose of this act the following shall be considered 

 game birds: the Anatidae, commonly called swans, geese, brant, and 

 river and sea ducks; the Rallidse, commonly known as rails, coots, mud 

 hens, and gallinules; the Limicolse, commonly known as shore birds, 

 plovers, surf birds, snipe, woodcock, and sandpipers, tattlers, and cur- 

 lews; the Galllnse, commonly known as wild turkeys, grouse, prairie 

 chickens, quail, and pheasants, all of which are not intended to be af- 

 fected by this act. 



"Sec. 3. Any person violating the provisions of section 1 of this act 

 shall, upon conviction, be fined in a sum not less than ten nor more than 

 fifty dollars, to which may be added imprisonment for not less than five 

 days nor more than thirty days. 



"Sec. 4. Sections 1 and 2 of this act shall not apply to any person hold- 

 ing a permit giving the right to take birds or their nests and eggs for 

 scientific purposes, as provided in secton 5 of this act. 



