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THE GAME BREEDER 



or Wilson snipe shall be between December 

 16 and September 15 next following. 



Woodcock. — The closed season on woodcock 

 shall be between December 1 and September 

 30 next following, except as follows : 



Exceptions : In Illinois and Missouri the 

 closed season shall continue until the open 

 season in 1918. 



Regulation 8. — Closed Seasons in Zone No. 2 



Waterfowl. — The closed season on water- 

 fowl, including coots and gallinules, shall be 

 between February 1 and October 14 next fol- 

 lowing, except as follows : 



Exceptions : In Alabama, Arkansas, District 

 of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, 

 Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Caro- 

 lina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia 

 the closed season shall be between February 1 

 and October 31 next following. 



Rails. — The closed season on sora and other 

 rails, excluding coots and gallinules, shall be 

 between December 1 and August 31 next fol- 

 lowing, except as follows : 



Exceptions : In Louisiana the closed season 

 shall be between February 1 and October 31; 

 and 



In California the closed season shall con- 

 tinue until the open season in 1918. 



Shorebirds. — The closed season on black- 

 breasted and golden plover and greater and 

 lesser yellowlegs shall be between December 1 

 and August 15, next following. 



Jacksnipe. — The closed season on jacksnipe 

 or Wilson snipe shall be between February 1 

 and October 31 next following. 



Woodcock. — The closed season on woodcock 

 shall be between January 1 and October 31 

 next following. 



Regulation 9. — Hearings. 



Persons recommending changes in the regu- 

 lations or desiring to submit evidence in per- 

 son or by attorneys as to the necessity for such 

 changes should make application to the Sec- 

 retary of Agriculture. Hearings will be ar- 

 ranged and due notice thereof given by publi- 

 cation or otherwise as may be deemed appro- 

 priate. Persons recommending changes should 

 be prepared to show the necessity for such 

 action and to submit evidence other than that 

 based on reasons of personal conven : ence or a 

 desire to kill game during a longer open 

 season. 



SNAKES AND SNAKES. 



By Allen Samuel Williams, 

 Director Reptile Study Society. 



[There are undoubtedly snakes and snakes, just as there are hawks and hawks, owls and 

 owls, etc., some more beneficial than others. Often we have heard it said that the little 

 garter snake and others are harmless even, in the presence of game and that some snakes 

 are highly beneficial. The tendency on English game farms and preserves rapidly has been 

 in the direction of limiting the destruction of many species of vermin, which formerly were 

 deemed to be harmful. We have pointed out that it is desirable that we should start right 

 in America and not recklessly destroy harmless species because we imagine they may do. 

 some harm. Mr. Williams' article about snakes is timely. We shall be glad to have our readers 

 discuss the various snakes and what they are observed to do on game farms. The rule we 

 have laid down for the control of vermin is to observe what it does and to act accordingly. — 

 Editor.] 



On behalf of the Reptile Study So- 

 ciety, the suggestion is offered to readers 

 of The Game Breeder and members 

 of the Game Conservation Society to ad- 

 vocate an interest in sparing the lives 

 of harmless (non-poisonous) species of 

 reptiles, which cannot harm game birds 

 and animals, because they are useful to 

 agriculture and to the interests of game 

 propagationists through destroying ro- 

 dents. In the northeastern United States 

 there commonly occurs no more than a 



score of serpents, of which only two, the 

 banded rattlesnake and the copperhead 

 snake, its, cousin, are venomous. With- 

 out naming all the species or concern- 

 ing ourselves with their life histories and 

 their bearing upon the game breeding 

 subject, let us specialize on one species, 

 Lampropeltis doliatus triangulus, com- 

 monly termed- Milk Snake, House Snake 

 or Spotted Adder. This small species 

 which does not exceed a yard in length 

 feeds, as innumerable analyses of the 



