150 THE ENGLISH SPARROW IN AMERICA. 



SECTION SECOND -RECOMMENDATIONS, 

 EECOMMENDATIONS POR LEGISLATION. 



SUGGESTIONS AS TO THE REPEAL OF OLD LAWS AND THE ENACT- 

 MENT OE NEW ONES. 



The following recommendations are respectfully submitted to the 

 legislative bodies of the various States and Territories : 



(1) The immediate repeal of all existing laws which afford protection 

 to the English Sparrow. 



(2) The enactment of laws legalizing the killing of the English 

 Sparrow at all seasons of the year, and the destruction of its nests, eggs, 

 and young. 



(3) The enactment of laws making it a misdemeanor, punishable by 

 fine or imprisonment, or both— (a) to intentionally give food or shelter 

 to the English Sparrow, except with a view to its ultimate destruction $ 

 (b) to introduce or aid in* introducing it into new localities ; (c) to in- 

 terfere with persons, means, or appliances engaged in, or designed for, 

 its destruction or the destruction of its nests, eggs, or young. 



(4) The enactment of laws protecting the Great Northern Shrike or 

 Butcher Bird, the Sparrow Hawk, and the Screech Owl, which species 

 feed largely on the English Sparrow. 



(5) The enactment of laws providing for the appointment of at least 

 one person holding civil office, preferabl5 T the game constable, where 

 such officer exists, in each town or village, who shall serve without 

 additional compensation, and whose duty it shall be to destroy or bring- 

 about the destruction of English Sparrows in the streets, parks, and 

 other places where the use of fire-arms is not permitted. In the larger 

 towns and cities this office might be well imposed upon the commission- 

 ers of public parks. 



In relation to the above recommendations a few remarks may not be 

 out of place. 



By reference to the summary of legislation which follows, it will be 

 seen that the existing laws which may affect the Sparrow are not suf- 

 ficiently explicit in most cases. 



In only seven States do the laws mention the English Sparrow spe- 

 cifically. In the State of New York it is a misdemeanor to feed or shelter 

 the Sparrow, and in Michigan a bounty of oue cent per head is paid. 

 Massachusets, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio* sim- 

 ply except the English Sparrow from the protection afforded most other 

 small birds. 



I11 twenty-two other States aud Territories, which afford more or less 

 protection to small birds, the English Sparrow stands on the same foot- 



* Since this was written, an act offering a bounty of ten cents per dozen for Eng- 

 lish Sparrows has heen passed by the Ohio legislature. (See pp. 171-172.) 



