54 SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY OF SAN ANTONIO 



killed off the birds in great numbers, but the effect on the orch- 

 ards, vineyards and farm crops was so painfully noticeable that 

 laws were immediately enacted for the protection of the birds. 



At the last session of the Texas Legislature a bill was passed 

 extending for two months the open season in which doves may 

 be killed in this State. The main reason advanced why this 

 change ought to be made, was that as doves began to move south- 

 ward in the early fall, the sportsmen of North Texas, were de- 

 prived of the sport of killing these useful birds, and that the 

 South Texas gunners got the best of the dove shooting. Because 

 many farmers and others were opposed to changing the open 

 season for doves to suit the convenience of some sportsmen, they 

 were criticised and ridiculed, their motives impugned, their state- 

 ments misquoted and misrepresented and themselves contempt- 

 uously referred to as "silly sentimentalists," "extremists," "hay- 

 seeds," "bird-cranks," etc., by many of those who proposed and 

 advocated the amendment. 



For the purpose of securing public sentiment for their side of 

 the question all kinds of unjust charges were trumped up against 

 the doves. The investigations of the U. S. Biological Survey 

 prove that doves consume great quantities of injurious weed seeds. 



The claim that doves destroy wheat and oat crops, is too poor 

 an excuse for any real sportsman to offer for advocating the 

 slaughter of these birds, especially in many parts of the State 

 where grain crops are not raised. The evidence of responsible 

 farmers and impartial investigators show that the damage has 

 been greatly exaggerated, chiefly for the benefit of a certain 

 class of hunters, who desire an excuse of some kind for shooting 

 birds in the summer months. Other birds equally as guilty of 

 consuming shattered and wasted grain, are not accused for the 

 reason that they are unsuitable for pot-pie purposes. The Texas 

 law is very reasonable in regard to birds which commit depreda- 

 tions and allows farmers to kill those which are injuring or de- 

 stroying their crops. Farmers in some countries value the 

 services of the birds so highly that they pay men and boys to 

 scare them away from the fields when the crops are ripening. 



The doves were accused by one writer of spreading Johnson 

 grass. This matter was referred to scientists of the U. S. Bio- 

 logical Survey and the Rice Institute for their opinions, with the 

 result that the highest authorities of these institutions are em- 

 phatic in their statements that doves can never become potent 

 disseminators of Johnson grass and similar pests. 



