﻿PROTECTION. 
  9 
  

  

  Protective 
  laws 
  intended 
  to 
  shorten 
  the 
  open 
  seasons, 
  to 
  prohibit 
  

   spring 
  shooting, 
  eliminate 
  destructive 
  methods 
  of 
  hunting, 
  and 
  to 
  

   stop 
  sale 
  and 
  export 
  have 
  often 
  provoked 
  opposition 
  from 
  those 
  who 
  

   maintain 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  futile 
  to 
  attempt 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  migratory 
  birds 
  

   in 
  the 
  North 
  if 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  equally 
  well 
  protected 
  on 
  their 
  winter 
  

   feeding 
  grounds 
  in 
  the 
  South. 
  

  

  Recent 
  experience, 
  however, 
  shows 
  that 
  under 
  certain 
  circumstances 
  

   the 
  results 
  of 
  local 
  protection 
  are 
  immediate 
  and 
  very 
  striking. 
  In 
  

   the 
  San 
  Luis 
  Valle}^, 
  Colorado, 
  protection 
  afforded 
  ducks 
  within 
  an 
  

   inclosure 
  about 
  an 
  artificial 
  pond, 
  fed 
  by 
  an 
  artesian 
  well, 
  has 
  caused 
  

   the 
  birds 
  to 
  resort 
  to 
  the 
  pond 
  in 
  increasing 
  numbers 
  each 
  winter. 
  

   At 
  Palm 
  Beach, 
  Fla., 
  where 
  no 
  hunting 
  is 
  allowed 
  within 
  a 
  mile 
  of 
  the 
  

   town, 
  ducks 
  have 
  become 
  so 
  tame 
  that 
  they 
  will 
  come 
  within 
  a 
  few 
  

   feet 
  for 
  food, 
  while 
  outside 
  the 
  mile 
  limit 
  the 
  same 
  birds 
  are 
  so 
  wild 
  

   that 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  approach 
  them 
  within 
  gunshot. 
  In 
  Jefferson 
  

   Count}^, 
  N. 
  Y., 
  the 
  enactment 
  of 
  a 
  local 
  law 
  prohibiting 
  spring 
  shoot- 
  

   ing 
  has 
  resulted 
  in 
  several 
  species 
  remaining 
  to 
  breed 
  which 
  formerly 
  

   went 
  much 
  farther 
  north 
  to 
  lay 
  their 
  eggs, 
  when 
  continually 
  harassed 
  

   by 
  constant 
  hunting 
  in 
  the 
  spring. 
  The 
  enactment 
  of 
  a 
  State 
  law 
  in 
  New 
  

   York 
  prohibiting 
  the 
  shooting 
  and 
  sale 
  of 
  ducks 
  and 
  geese 
  in 
  spring 
  

   has 
  not 
  only 
  had 
  a 
  marked 
  effect 
  on 
  local 
  birds, 
  but 
  has 
  resulted 
  also 
  

   in 
  extending 
  protection 
  to 
  waterfowl 
  in 
  North 
  Carolina 
  b}^ 
  restricting 
  

   in 
  the 
  latter 
  State 
  their 
  slaughter 
  for 
  the 
  markets 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  City. 
  

  

  These 
  and 
  other 
  illustrations 
  which 
  might 
  readily 
  be 
  cited 
  show 
  

   that, 
  if 
  protected, 
  many 
  species 
  that 
  formerly 
  reared 
  their 
  young 
  in 
  

   the 
  United 
  States, 
  and 
  were 
  driven 
  away 
  by 
  persecution, 
  would 
  

   return 
  and 
  occupy 
  old 
  breeding 
  grounds. 
  They 
  prove 
  also 
  that 
  very 
  

   effective 
  work 
  for 
  the 
  protection 
  and 
  increase 
  of 
  waterfowl 
  can 
  be 
  

   done 
  in 
  many 
  sections 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  without 
  waiting 
  for 
  general 
  leg- 
  

   islation 
  or 
  for 
  concerted 
  action 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Southern 
  States. 
  

   Cooperative 
  legislation 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Southern 
  States 
  is 
  greatly 
  

   to 
  be 
  desired 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  expected 
  to 
  follow 
  as 
  the 
  causes 
  that 
  have 
  

   led 
  to 
  the 
  diminution 
  in 
  the 
  numbers 
  of 
  waterfowl 
  are 
  better 
  under- 
  

   stood 
  there 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  purpose 
  and 
  effects 
  of 
  protective 
  legislation 
  in 
  

   Northern 
  States 
  are 
  fully 
  comprehended. 
  

  

  With 
  reference 
  to 
  practical 
  legislation 
  in 
  behalf 
  of 
  wild 
  fowl, 
  ques- 
  

   tions 
  often 
  arise 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  time 
  when 
  various 
  species 
  may 
  be 
  expected 
  

   at 
  certain 
  points 
  in 
  the 
  autumn, 
  when 
  they 
  leave 
  for 
  their 
  breeding 
  

   grounds 
  in 
  the 
  spring, 
  how 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  season 
  shooting 
  can 
  be 
  con- 
  

   tinued 
  without 
  interfering 
  with 
  pairing, 
  what 
  progress 
  in 
  legislation 
  

   has 
  been 
  made 
  in 
  different 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  and 
  what 
  have 
  

   been 
  the 
  practical 
  results 
  of 
  such 
  legislation. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  enable 
  the 
  Department 
  to 
  answer 
  such 
  inquiries, 
  a 
  com- 
  

   prehensive 
  investigation 
  of 
  the 
  general 
  facts 
  relating 
  to 
  our 
  wild 
  fowl 
  

   has 
  been 
  undertaken. 
  In 
  the 
  present 
  report 
  are 
  presented 
  such 
  data 
  

  

  