FROM THE GAME FIELDS. 



281 



esting creature when found at large?" 

 We have some flying squirrels there that are 

 a constant source of interest and amuse- 

 ment and they are making converts every 

 day to the cause of game protection. I am 

 planning to propagate birds, squirrels and 

 other wild creatures in large cages enclos- 

 ing trees, and I, of course, would not deny 

 others the privilege we claim for ourselves. 

 Our Zoological Garden and parks are 

 great educators on these lines, and if a 

 society is allowed to entrap and confine 

 hundreds or thousands of birds and ani- 

 mals, why should not an individual be al- 

 lowed to keep one or 2 of each ? 



Kindly think this- matter over and let 

 me have your views. 



G. O. Shields. 



DOCTOR PALMER'S REPLY. 



There is not much difference of opinion 

 between us on the subject of keeping live 

 birds and animals in captivity. Although 

 dealers blame the Lacey Act because their 

 sales have been curtailed, the real source 

 of their trouble lies in the enforcement of 

 local laws. The export of quails from the 

 Indian Territory has been curtailed by en- 

 forcing the Territorial law (R. S. 2137). 

 Action against bird dealers in Chicago was 

 taken under the Illinois State law, and 

 dealers in the District of Columbia are pre- 

 vented from selling certain cage birds by a 

 provision in the District law to the effect 

 that no person shall catch t expose for sale, 

 or have in possession, living or dead, any 

 wild bird except game birds and certain 

 species mentioned by name. 



Personally, I see no objection to keeping 

 a squirrel or a mockingbird as a pet and I 

 do not think our local law was intended to 

 prevent that sort of thing where the privi- 

 lege is not abused. As far as I am aware 

 no attempt has been made to interfere with 

 pets in the hands of private individuals, 

 either in the District or in New Jersey, 

 where the game laws are strictly enforced. 



I agree with you entirely that certain 

 birds in captivity are valuable for purposes 

 of education and for arousing public in- 

 terest in game protection. Much more 

 might be accomplished in the way of do- 

 mestication than has yet been done. Wood 

 ducks might be bred in captivity, and ex- 

 periments made in domesticating sage 

 grouse, the beautiful little Massena part- 

 ridge of the Southwest, some of the wild 

 turkeys, and even in raising the prairie 

 chicken in captivity. The laws of every 

 State should contain a provision for' ob- 

 taining .birds for propagation ; but this 

 matter should be under strict supervision, 

 and sale and shipment allowed only under 

 permit. There should be no objection to 

 catching a few birds for domestication, if 

 done by properly authorized persons, but 



the time has passed when every bird catch- 

 er can be allowed to trap, ship, and sell 

 ad libitum. The abuses which have grown 

 up with the live bird trade in the United 

 S.ates are not generally recognized. 1 have 

 known quails ostensibly shipped for propa- 

 gation to be sold to restaurants or killed for 

 market, on arrival at destination. Such 

 large numbers of bright colored birds are 

 trapped near certain cities that some species 

 have been almost exterminated in those lo- 

 calities. The District of Columbia has not 

 yet recovered from the excessive trapping 

 of cardinals which occurred a few years 

 ago. Cage birds are caught not only for 

 the local market but for shipments abroad. 

 Last winter I saw 250 cardinals in one store 

 in New York which were destined for 

 South Africa. This is the kind of trade 

 that State laws attempt to prevent. 



As far as the District of Columbia is con- 

 cerned, local dealers are allowed to sell 

 squirrels from November 1 to February 1, 

 and quails from November 1 to March 15; 

 and while they are prevented from selling 

 certain native species as cage birds they 

 can sell foreign birds in any number at 

 any time. The reason is obvious. The 

 vicinity of the National Capital should be in 

 the nature of a park, where native birds and 

 animals are strictly protected. If they can 

 be sold by local dealers it simply encour- 

 ages wholesale trapping and nest robbing. 

 The trade in live birds and game should be 

 placed under even more stringent regula- 

 tions than the trade in dead game, but 

 ample provision should be made for propa- 

 gation and domestication. 



T. S,. Palmer, 

 In charge Game Preservation. 



ALASKAN GUN AND GAME NOTES. 



Portland, Ore. 



Editor Recreation : — While in the Yu- 

 kon valley we seldom saw magazines and 

 newspapers. In Dawson it was a great 

 treat to find Recreation, and $1 a copy was 

 willingly paid for it. 



Since coming home, after an absence of 

 2 years, I find the great gun question is 

 not yet settled, and that the gun crank is 

 as bad as ever. On the Klondike river, 

 from 50 to 100 miles from Dawson, quite a 

 number of large moose were killed in '98; 

 several of them dressed over 1,000 pounds. 

 One hunter, with a single shot, 30-40 

 smokeless, with telescope sights, killed 23 

 moose last season. He sold the meat at 

 50 cents to $1 a pound. 



Many hunters claim that the .30-40 is the 

 best gun for moose, Alaskan brown bear, 

 and grizzlies. I own a .30-30, and killed a 

 400 pound black bear with it, using lead 

 point bullet. Most old hunters cling to 

 the .45-70 black powder or U. S. Govern- 



