PEAIEIE CHICKENS — PINNATED GROUSE. 307 



ranted restriction on a sport they had always looked 

 forward to with interest, and had enjoyed. On the plea 

 that other States allowed the killing of these birds within 

 certain seasons, also saying that their dogs would become 

 useless, that others would not observe the law, they 

 sought to hinder its passage; but the law was passed, 

 went into effect, is generally observed, and to-day there 

 are more prairie chickens within the boundary of the 

 State of Illinois than there has been for years. Thus the 

 sportsmen were deceived in the effect of this law, for the 

 great ills they thought would happen by temporarily 

 depriving them of the pursuit of birds was only imagin- 

 ary, and the actual truth of the goodness of this wise 

 law showed itself in the ultimate result — the great 

 increase of the birds. 



Other States can follow the example of Illinois with 

 profit. We are all inclined to be a little selfish when 

 our ancient and long-established rights are threatened 

 with interference, and we dislike having any laws go into 

 effect that may in anywise preclude us from the enjoy- 

 ment of field sports. The greatest good to the many, 

 should be our motto. Can we not be generous, and help 

 to increase rather than diminish these birds ? Tempora- 

 rily we may be deprived of pleasures afield, but the in- 

 crease of birds will reward us, and our growing children 

 and their descendants will thank us for our forethought 

 in years to come. Unless we take wise and manly steps 

 toward the preservation and protection of game, the time 

 is not distant when game pictures, taxidermized speci- 

 mens, word paintings of birds, will be the only sources. 

 from which our descendants can obtain information of 

 birds that vsdll be extinct, but which at this time we find 

 fairly plenty. At times during the past few weeks, I 

 have noticed one of my boys, a youth of twelve, intently 

 studying the pages of my shooting papers and sporting 



