BIRD-PROTECTION BY GOVERNMENTS 197 



Second, it controls the open season so as to give 

 better protection to game-birds. Under the state 

 regulations a bird might be shot from the time it 

 left its home in the North all the way on its migra- 

 tion South. The state control of game has proved a 

 failure. No State has given its game adequate pro- 

 tection. The number of game-birds has been stead- 

 ily decreasing under state control, some being threat- 

 ened with extermination. It seems almost certain 

 that under federal control birds will be more effec- 

 tively protected, and that their numbers will soon 

 begin to increase; and already this increase has been 

 noted in some localities. 



Third, it means permanency of bird-protection. 

 Under the state systems at the meeting of nearly 

 every legislature efforts are made to repeal some 

 of the laws protecting birds and to pass new laws 

 which permit the killing of more birds. 



Fourth, federal laws are generally better enforced 

 and more feared than state laws, and so are more 

 effective. 



The preparation of the regulations for the protec- 

 tion of migratory birds was entrusted to a committee 

 of experts from the Bureau of Biological Survey. 

 These Regulations form one of the most important 

 scientific documents ever issued on the subject of 

 bird-protection. Portions of these regulations are 

 quoted below, as amended August 16, 1916: — 



