INEXPEDIENCY OF BOUNTIES. 153 



kinglets, sparrows, and finches which remain in the Northern States in 

 large numbers every winter, and need only a little food, and the assur- 

 ance that they will not be molested, to bring them regularly about houses 

 and gardens, even in towns and cities. 



There is one plan for the extermination of Sparrows which might give 

 good results under some conditions, and which might be tried on a small 

 scale first and subsequently on a larger one if the results of the ex- 

 periment should warrant it. A premium might be offered for the largest 

 number of Sparrows killed in a given district within a specified time. 

 For example, a township or county might make such an offer, prescrib- 

 ing the conditions, and requiring each contestant for the prize to comply 

 with them. So far as possible such a contest should be open to every 

 one residing in the district, but the utmost care should be taken to 

 prevent the slaughter of other birds than Sparrows, and unless all 

 participants had perfect confidence in each other, precautions should 

 be taken to prevent the importation of dead Sparrows from neighbor- 

 ing places of greater abundance. Secondary prizes might be offered for 

 the next largest numbers killed, and if the amounts were large enough 

 very many people would be tempted to compete for them. It is certain 

 that 8500 or 81,000 expended in this way would result in the destruc- 

 tion of very many more Sparrows than if the same amount were paid 

 out in bounties ; and probably under ordinary circumstances this method 

 would yield better results than any other plan of paid extermination. 

 Similar plans, on a smaller scale, might be tried by farmers 7 clubs aud 

 similar organizations, and doubtless would destroy many Sparrows. 



'bounties. 



INEXPEDIENCY OF BOUNTIES IX GENERAL. 



It is not expedient to offer bounties for the destruction of Sparrows. 

 In fact, at the present time it is desirable and perfectly feasible to bring- 

 about a great reduction in their ranks by concerted action of the 

 people, aided by helpful legislation, without drawing heavily upon the 

 public purse. 



Bounties offered for the destruction of harmful species seldom accom- 

 plish the desired end, and if success does finally result, it is only after 

 vastly larger expenditures than were at first thought necessary. xVtter 

 a harmful species — the wolf, for example— has become rather scarce in 

 any section of country, the offer of a bounty may lead to its complete 

 extermination ; and to attain such a result it is certainly good economy 

 to make the bounty large. Obviously, it is better to pay a large sum at 

 once for the last few pairs of wolves in a district than to offer a bounty 

 so small that it is little inducement to a hunter to spend his time in 

 their pursuit. In this latter case the wolves easily hold their own for 

 many years, or even increase slowly, while the aggregate bounties paid 

 will far exceed all expectation. In order to be effective a bounty should 



