The Lesser Snow Goose 



reduced to a ghastly farce and a fear of extinction. The presence of 

 this colossal fact is so glaringly manifest, and so painful, that one who 

 loves the birds and really cares for the cultural development of our 

 nation can hardly bring himself to contemplate the details. 



But further waste is absolutely unnecessary. Control of all mi- 

 gratory birds has been vested in the Federal Department of Agriculture. 

 Market-hunting has been stopped. Regulations have been passed which, 

 if rigidly enforced, may possibly slow down the present rate of destruc- 

 tion one half, or such a matter. If only people could be brought to realize 

 a few homely truths, the slaughter of wild-fowl might be discouraged 

 outright. I mention a few of them : 



1. The "sporting" instinct is not so much a desire for slaughter as it 

 is a perfectly commendable desire to be out of doors with some definite, 

 socially approved objective at hand. Give this instinct other outlets. 



2. The flesh of wild birds is no longer necessary as human food. 



3. The continued domination of Nature by terror is increasingly 

 revolting. 



4. At only half the present rate of destruction per human capita, 

 all "game birds," save possibly the western quails, will be reduced to a 

 state of practical outlawry or else destroyed. 



5. The instincts of the chase are neither incorrigible nor difficult to 

 divert; but they are being artificially stimulated by the advertising of guns 

 and ammunition, and by the perverse social expectations resulting there- 

 from. 



6. Future ages will never cease to curse us if we squander the 

 heritage of our wild life. 



We have tried temperance and "moderate shooting," and it has 

 proven a rotten failure. The birds are still on the decrease. Isn't it time 

 for prohibition? 



Taken in San Francisco Photo by W. K. Fisher 



LESSER SNOW GEESE 



WING-TIPPED BIRDS IN GOLDEN GATE PARK 



/848 



