14 LEGISLATION FOE THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS. 



to mean all birds named or referred to except certain insectivorous 

 species. According to the Code of Mississippi, "the term 'game' 

 includes all kinds of animals and birds found in the state of nature, 

 and commonly so called. " ^ Nova Scotia declares : " ' Game ' shall mean 

 and include * * * Canada and ruffed grouse (commonly called 

 partridge), pheasants, blackcock, capercailzie, ptarmigan, sharp-tailed 

 grouse, woodcock, snipe, blue winged ducks, teal, and wood ducks." ^ 

 British Columbia decrees that a game bird ' ' shall mean a bird protected 

 by the provisions of this act,"^ and New Brunswick "any bird men- 

 tioned in this act, or of a species or class similar thereto."* 



The plan of enumerating each species, as in some of these laws, is 

 not clear or concise. It also lacks uniformity because of the confusion 

 existing in the common names of certain game birds and the presence 

 of species in one State which do not occur in another.^ 



In order to overcome this difficulty, the Committee on Protection of 

 Birds of the American Ornithologists'' Union has suggested using the 

 larger groups called orders and families, into which birds are com- 

 monly divided," instead of species, which gives at once a simple and 

 concise definition. "The following only shall be considered game 

 birds: The Anatidte, commonly known as swans, geese, brant, river 

 and sea ducks; the Rallida\ connnonly known as rails, coots, mud-hens, 

 and gallinules; the LimicoliL^ connnonly known as shore birds, plovers, 

 surf l)irds, snipe, woodcock, sandpipers, tatlers, and curlews; the 

 Gallina', commonly known as wild turkeys, grouse, prairie chickens, 

 pheasants, partridges, and quail." These four groups, the Anatida% 

 liallida', Limicola?, and Gallina?, include all the species which are com- 

 monly hunted for sport or for food in the United States, with the 

 exception of cranes, wild pigeons, doves, flickers, meadowlarks, reed- 

 ])irds, l)lack))irds. and robins. Cranes, pigeons, and doves are ordinarily 

 considered legitimate game, but are now so rare in most States that it 

 has ])ecome necessary to remove them from the game list. Flickers, 

 meadowlarks, ])lackl)irds, reedl)irds, and rol)ins being insectivorous arc 

 more valual)le for other purposes than for food, and merit special 

 attention. 



'Annotated Code, 1892, sec. 2118. 



■•' Laws of 1896, chap. 4, sec. 2. 



« Statutes, 1898, chap. 24, sec 2. 



•Acts of 1899, Chap. VIII, sec. 2. 



* If these species are not nientione<l in the game Hst of the latter State, they can 

 be imported and sold during close seasons, thus furnishing a market for the illegiti- 

 mate sale of game from other States. 



« Ornithologists divide the class of birds into orders which are subdivided into 

 groups called families, these again into genera, which in turn are composed of species 

 and subspecies. Only 17 ordere and 07 families are represented in North America 

 north of Mexico. 



