﻿20 
  BOB 
  WHITE 
  AND 
  OTHER 
  QUAILS 
  OF 
  UNITED 
  STATES. 
  

  

  Southern 
  birds 
  can 
  not 
  stand 
  the 
  present 
  continuous 
  fusillade 
  of 
  

   from 
  four 
  to 
  seven 
  months, 
  and 
  the 
  open 
  season 
  in 
  the 
  South 
  should 
  

   be 
  limited 
  to 
  two 
  or, 
  at 
  most, 
  three 
  months. 
  

  

  The 
  slaughter 
  of 
  the 
  bobwhite 
  by 
  sportsmen 
  who 
  hunt 
  for 
  pleasure 
  

   is 
  insignificant 
  in 
  comparison 
  with 
  that 
  by 
  professional 
  market 
  

   hunters. 
  At 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  (1904), 
  in 
  about 
  25 
  States, 
  the 
  law 
  

   takes 
  cognizance 
  of 
  this 
  fact 
  by 
  prohibiting 
  the 
  sale 
  of 
  birds 
  killed 
  

   within 
  the 
  State 
  or 
  imported 
  from 
  other 
  States, 
  and 
  the 
  general 
  

   tendency 
  altogether 
  to 
  prohibit 
  the 
  sale 
  is 
  growing 
  each 
  year. 
  Every 
  

   State 
  except 
  Mississippi 
  forbids 
  the 
  sending 
  of 
  certain 
  game 
  outside 
  

   the 
  State 
  — 
  a 
  restriction 
  on 
  the 
  sportsman 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  market 
  

   hunter, 
  although 
  the 
  privilege 
  of 
  carrying 
  home 
  a 
  limited 
  amount 
  

   of 
  game 
  is 
  often 
  granted 
  under 
  a 
  nonresident 
  license. 
  Fourteen 
  

   States 
  have 
  laws, 
  also 
  affecting 
  both 
  classes, 
  limiting 
  a 
  day's 
  bag 
  to 
  

   from 
  5 
  to 
  50 
  birds. 
  Many 
  sportsmen 
  and 
  farmers 
  would 
  be 
  glad 
  if 
  

   the 
  limit 
  Avere 
  set 
  at 
  12. 
  Laws 
  discriminating 
  against 
  nonresidents 
  

   protect 
  the 
  game 
  and 
  benefit 
  the 
  landowner, 
  provided 
  visiting 
  sports- 
  

   men 
  are 
  not 
  barred 
  altogether 
  by 
  unreasonable 
  fees. 
  Thirty-one 
  

   States 
  and 
  Territories 
  require 
  nonresident 
  licenses. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  

   State 
  game 
  laws 
  there 
  are 
  certain 
  Federal 
  laws, 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  

   of 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  Lacey 
  Act, 
  which 
  provides, 
  among 
  other 
  things, 
  

   through 
  the 
  Department 
  of 
  Agriculture, 
  for 
  the 
  preservation, 
  distri- 
  

   bution, 
  introduction, 
  and 
  restoration 
  of 
  game 
  birds, 
  and 
  also 
  under- 
  

   takes 
  to 
  bring 
  to 
  justice 
  persons 
  who 
  transport 
  from 
  one 
  State 
  to 
  

   another 
  game 
  killed 
  in 
  violation 
  of 
  local 
  laws. 
  The 
  latter 
  clause 
  

   proves 
  effective 
  in 
  restricting 
  such 
  illegal 
  shipments 
  and 
  in 
  suppress- 
  

   ing 
  professional 
  dealers 
  that 
  kill 
  out 
  of 
  season 
  in 
  one 
  State 
  and 
  

   attempt 
  to 
  sell 
  in 
  another 
  where 
  the 
  season 
  is 
  still 
  open. 
  A 
  law 
  to 
  

   prevent 
  keeping 
  birds 
  in 
  cold 
  storage 
  from 
  one 
  season 
  to 
  another 
  

   would 
  stop 
  certain 
  loopholes 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  laws 
  and 
  greatly 
  aid 
  in 
  

   preserving 
  game. 
  An 
  effective 
  system 
  of 
  State 
  game 
  officials 
  where 
  

   it 
  is 
  lacking 
  would 
  aid 
  in 
  enforcing 
  game 
  laws. 
  A 
  number 
  of 
  States 
  

   depend 
  solely 
  on 
  county 
  officers 
  ; 
  but 
  experience 
  has 
  shown 
  that 
  with- 
  

   out 
  a 
  central 
  State 
  organization 
  and 
  special 
  game 
  wardens 
  the 
  law 
  to 
  

   a 
  great 
  extent 
  becomes 
  a 
  dead 
  letter. 
  

  

  MEASURES 
  FOR 
  PRESERVATION 
  AND 
  PROPAGATION. 
  

  

  Stringent 
  laws 
  against 
  trapping 
  the 
  bobwhite 
  have 
  been 
  enacted, 
  

   but 
  such 
  legislation 
  should 
  permit 
  legitimate 
  trapping 
  for 
  purposes 
  

   of 
  propagation. 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  problems 
  before 
  game 
  

   commissioners 
  is 
  the 
  restocking 
  of 
  depleted 
  covers. 
  If, 
  however, 
  the 
  

   bobwhite 
  can 
  be 
  reared 
  successfully 
  in 
  captivity, 
  all 
  trapping 
  may 
  

   be 
  prohibited. 
  The 
  sporting 
  magazines 
  (' 
  Forest 
  and 
  Stream 
  ' 
  and 
  

   'American 
  Field 
  ') 
  mention 
  cases 
  of 
  the 
  bird's 
  laying 
  in 
  captivity 
  

  

  