Not. 11, I886.3 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



SOB 



[B.] 



A2yplication for a permit to coUccf birds for scientific 

 ■purposes under the provi^iuns of Chapter 4^7 of 

 the Lawit of the State of jVcu' Yorli. 



1S8 



I, THE UNDERSIGNED, £i resident of 



hereby apply to the President of tbe Amcrieau Muscmu cu' Ka airal 

 History ot New Yort City, for a permit graming the light 

 to collect birds, their nesis and cjif,'sf, lor strioxly scientiQc pur- 

 poses only, in accordance with C:!iapter 1,-7 of ihe IjUW s of the 

 State of New York, beins,' an Act ixisse.l Way -J), 1880, entitled "An 

 Act tor the preservation of Song and ^V^ld Birdy." 1 do hereby 

 agree and promise tlrnt in av ailing niy-clt of iliis nri'. ilcse, I will 

 strictly comply with the spirit anrt loiter of the Act above cited. 



I herewith inclose my bond, duly cxccuicd in accordLtucc with 

 said Act, and the reqnu-ed indorsement of two seicntitic men, coi- 

 tif ying to my good cliaracter and fitness to be intntsted with such 

 a privilege. 



[Signed,] 



Witnessed, . 



IrORM OF rNDOEBBMENT. 



188 



WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, personally know 



• and believe Mm to be a 



person of good cliaracter, and lit to be intrusted with the privilege 

 of collecting Avild birds, and their nents and eggs, in accordance 

 with the proA-isions of Section 4 of Chaplcr 4?; of the L:i.ws of the 

 State of New Yorli, which Act wo have carefuily examined and 

 fully comprehend. 



ISiaii until name 



and address 



in.fun.2 



[c] Know all Men by these Presents, that we 



Principal, and 



• Sm-ety, and - Surety, 



of the of 



of:- are held and firmly bound uuto the 



PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN MUSEL'M OF KATUKAL 

 HISTORY, of the City of New Y^ork, in the Ir.st a 'id full Hum of 

 Two HUNDBED DoLLAHS lawful mouer of the linitcd Sta t es, to be 

 paid to the Tkeasuuer OF the State of Iiew roiijc, for which 

 payment well and truly to be made, we bina ourseh es, our heirs, 

 executore, or administrators, iointly and severally, hrmly by 



these presents— sealed witli oiu- seals, and dated llie 



oay of in the year one thousand eight hundred and 



eighty 



tyhercas, the above beunden , 



• has been given a Permit, dated the 



day of in ihe year one thousarid eight hundi'cd and 



eighty , by the PnE.siDEXT or the ^Vmeeican .Mi'seuji 



OP Natueal History, of the Cicv of New York, i.i collect birds, 

 their nests or eggs, for strictly scicntilic uurposos onlA , under the 

 provisions of Chapter 437 of tJie La\V8 ot'the State 01^ Kew York, 

 Which Chapter is "An Act fri- the Preservation of Song and Wild 

 Birds," passed iMay 20, 1886; now the conditions of the foregoing 



obligations are such, that if tlie said '. 



■-. shall abstain from any infringement of 



said Act, then this obligation to be void, otherwise to be and re- 

 main in full force and virtue. 

 Sealed and delivered 

 in the presence of 



[Seal.] 



Residence 



i^-:- : .[Seal.] 



Residence 



[Seal.] 



Residence , 



[Seal.] 



- Residence , 



[D.] American Museum of Ncdurcd History, 



(I>"conpoEATED May. 1SG9), 



(Central Park 77th St. & sth Ave.), 



New TorliCity, 138 



Deab Sir: 



The President of the American Museum of Natural HistoTv*has 

 decided to grant your application for a permit "to collect 'birds, 

 their nests or eggs, for stristly scientific purposes only," in accord- 

 ance with Sections 3 and 4 of Chapter -li;'; of the Laws of the State 

 of New York for 1888, entitled, "An Act for the preservation of 

 Song and Wild Birds." 



To cover expenses incurred for postage, printing, etc., vou will 

 be charged Jl, on receipt of which said permit will be mailed 

 to your address. , Prcsid ent. 



[E.] 



[This Permit Expires July 1, 188. . and is not Transebbable.] 

 America/nMiisemn of Natural History, 

 (Incorporated May, 1869), 

 Central Park (77th St. & 8th Av.), 



New York City 1S8 



The President of the American Museum of Natural History* 



having received satisfactory evidence that Mr '.. 



of •-_ , , is engaged in the 



grant him a permit on the condition that he win faitltfnlh' oliserve 

 his written promise to the President to obey the letter and snn-it 

 of the Act for the "Preservation of Song and Wild Birds;" ami in 

 case of wanton destruction of birds or birds' eggs, or killing Ijirds 

 for merely ornamental imrposes, or for any other breach of said 



promise, by the said , this certiflcate 



shall be revoked, and notice of such revocation e-ivon in any 

 manner the President may tliink best. 



The holder of this permit shall not take nor kill any game 

 bird, nor destroy their eggs, contrarv to tlie Laws of New York, 

 enacted for the protection or preservation of game birds. 



This permit expires the first day of July, eighteen hundred 



and eighty -, and is not transferable. The holder tlicrcof is 



not authorized to collect specimens in defiance of local la^vs or 

 regttlations, nor in violation of laws against tresijass on private 

 property. 



- , President. 



*0r whoever the proper authority may chance to be, 



If.] American Mmenm of Natural History, 



(INCOBPORATED MAY, 1S69), 



Central Park i77th St. & 8th Ave.), 



New York City, I88 



Dear Sir: 



I beg to notify you that the permit given to you by the President 

 of the American Museum of ISatnral Historv in accordance with 

 Chapter 427 of the Laws of the State of New York— an Act for the 

 "Preservation of Song and AYild Birds"— expir.:s .Inlvl, 18t^. If 

 you desire its renewal under the same oliJ igatioiis, you will 

 please return this circular with your n;ime and address stibsciibed 

 and the sum of one dollai', on receipt Of w^hich a ucav permit will be 

 sent to you. Respectfully, 



Pi'esident. 



Sec. 5. The permits are issued for one year only, and 

 are not transferable. The bond, however, 'may stand in- 

 definitely, or until canceled, and the iDermit b'e annually 

 renevs^ed at the owner's option, in virtue of the bond con- 

 tinuing in force. 



The remaining sections of the proposed act need no 

 comment beyond that already made in speaking of the 

 New York law. 



ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS FOR THE PROTECTION OP BIRDS, 



Any constable or jjolice officer may be called upon to 

 make arrests under legislative acts for the protection of 

 birds; if they fail to take proper action, through indiffer- 

 ence or from other causes, complaints for neglect of duty 

 should be duly lodged against them. To seciu-e more 

 efficient enforcement of such laws it would be well to 

 have ofdcers speciaily^aiDpointed for the pm-pose, say one 

 for each county, wliose duties should be similar to those 

 of game wardens — namely, to arrest and prosecute vio- 

 lators of the law. The paid agents— nearly five thousand 

 in mtmber — of the American Humane Association may 

 also be called upon to assist in theii' enforcement. 



PURPOSE AND OBJECTS OF THE PROPOSED ACT. 



The primary purpose of the projTOsed act is the preven- 

 tion of the slaughter of birds for millinery use, and by 

 thoughtless men and boys in mere sport or to gratify a 

 desti'uctive propensity. As is well know-n, boys destroy 

 countless numbers of the nests and eggs of birds, and even 

 of birds themselves — the latter not only with guns, but 

 especially by use of slings, catapults or pea-shooters— sim- 

 ply for mischievous pleasure. It may not be so well- 

 known that many men thoughtlessly shoot hundreds and 

 even thousands of swallo^vs, swifts, nighthawks, gulls, 

 terns, herons and other birds, including even ducks and 

 other waterfowl, simply for the practice of shooting on 

 the wing, or to gratify a desu-e to kill something. As 

 they make no use of the birds thus killed, their only profit 

 from such heartless destruction is the satisfaction of ex- 

 ercising or displaying tlicir skill as marksmen. It is need- 

 less to say that such proceedings are wanton and barbar- 

 ous, without excuse or defence, and should be summarily 

 stopped. 



The proposed act is not intended to interfere with the 

 wearing of decorations made from the feathers of domes- 

 ticated birds, or from birds lawfully killed as game, or 

 with the use of ostrich jjlumes. "the wings and other 

 parts of grouse, partridges, nheasants, ptarmigans, ducks, 

 etc., employed so extensively for hat trimmings, are not 

 objectionable from the point of view of bu'd protection. 



GENERAL REMARKS AND SUGGESTIONS. 



In any prohibitory legislation the "greatest good to the 

 greatest number" is the first point to be considered. It is 

 with this principle in view that the above di-aft of a pi'O- 

 tective bird act has been drawn. Hence if it can be shown 

 til at certain birds are included by it among those to be 

 protected, which for any reason it is unwise to protect, as 

 for exani])le, the birds of prey, crows, jays, blackbirds, 

 the robin and the bobolink, the Committee is quite will- 

 ing to see protection withheld from them. The United 

 States Department of Agriculture, through its Division of 

 Economic Ornithology, in charge of an expert natural- 

 ist, Dr. C. Hai-t Meniam, is at present thoroughly investi- 

 gating these and similar problems, and doubtless will be 

 able soon to throw much light upon the real economic 

 status of these and many other species, but for the pres- 

 sent the Committee believe, judging from the evidence 

 already at hand, that it would be detrimental to the public 

 interest to declare the species in question unentitled to 

 protection. 



Again, while it is desirable to secure uniformity through- 

 out the country in laws for the protection of birds, the 

 conditions may so far vary in different portions of the 

 country as to warrant deviations and exceptions for some 

 parts which would be unnecessary in others. The bobo- 

 link affords a notable case; throughout its breeding area, 

 in the Northern States, it is unquestionably a useful in- 

 sect destroyer as well as one of the most vivacious and 

 pleasing of song birds; in the Southern States its dep- 

 redations dm-ing its migrations on the rice crop are 

 unquestionably of serious magnitude. How it had best 

 be treated at large is not, therefore, an easily solved 

 problem. And the same is to some extent true of the 

 various species of blackbu-ds. These are problems of the 

 future, however, rather than of the present. 



Anotlier question of moment is the proper attitude of 

 the law toward taxidermists, who, as a class, are valuable 

 aids of the scientific museum and the ornithologist. The 

 mounting of bfi-ds, single or in groups, as objects of orna- 

 ment or interest, is not objectionable, since they are in- 

 stmctive and tend to foster a taste for natural' history 

 studies, the number so 'used being comparatively small. 



The preparation of skins, also a legitimate part of a 

 taxidermist's work, is, however, more open to abuse, 

 since it is in this form that birds find a ready sale for 

 illegitimate uses, IMany taxidermists are unquestionably 

 upright and conscientious men, who scorn becoming ac- 

 cessories to the milliner's art; to such it would be proper 

 to grant permits for collecting specimens. But many 

 are notoriously unscrupulous, and consequently unfit to 

 be trusted with such a privilege. Such persons, however, 

 would doubtless be unable to fimiish satisfactory testi- 

 jnonials of good character and fitness, or the necessary 

 bonds. But special care should be exercised both in 

 issuing the permits and in guarding against their abuse. 



EFFECT OF THE NEW YORK LAW AND OF THE MOVEMENT 

 IN BEHALF OP THE BIRDS. 



It is impossible to say to just what extent the New York 

 law for the protection of birds is enforced, but it is 

 evidently far from a "dead letter."' In the vicinity of 

 New York city, at least, there have been a nmnber of suc- 

 cessful prosecutions for shooting robins. These have had 

 a salutary effect, not only for the protection of robins, but 

 for bobolinks, meadow larks and golden-winged wood- 

 peckers. Tlie existence of the law appears to be not only 

 generally known, btit it inspu-es caution on the part of 

 market dealers, taxidermists and bird shooters who have 

 been publicly wai-ned against its violation. Infringe- 

 ments of the law ai-e doubtless still not rare, but they are 

 generally covert, and it is evident that if a little more 

 interest were shown in its enforcement it would soon be 

 properly respected. 



PubHc sentiment in behalf of the better protection of 

 our smaller native birds has evidently been deeply 

 aroused, especially against their use for millinery pxu-- 

 poses. The press at large has so generally suppoi-ted the 

 movement, and so thoroughly made known the extent of 

 the wholesale destruction of birds for hat decoration, that 

 at least the more intelligent women of the country can 

 no longer sin ignorantly in the matter of wearing birds 

 for personal adornment. In this good work the Audubon 

 Society, through its publications and eai-nest workers, 

 has done eminent service, its co-operation with the A, O. 

 U. Committ.ee having been most hearty and efficient. 

 The result of the agitation is easUy seen m the compara- 



tive absence at the present time of song birds on women's 

 hats. While the plumage of birds is still extensively 

 worn, it has notably changed in character, and consists 

 mainly of (1) materials of legitimate origin, as the wings 

 and other parts of game birds, domestic fowls and pigeons, 

 and ostrich plumes, or (3) of bright-plumaged exotic 

 species, chiefly South American, East Indian and 

 African, such as pai-rots, trogons, toucans, hummmg birds, 

 birds of paradise, grackles, starlings, fruit pigeons, etc. 

 Tenas, shore bh-ds, dyed grebe plumage and egret plumes, 

 are, however, still frequent, and the heads or other parts 

 of owls and small hawks are sparingly used, as are also 

 the yyings of the golden-winged woodpecker. But the 

 bunches of kinglets, warblers, spaiTows and other song 

 bu-ds, which a year since so conspicuously disgraced the 

 headgear of so many women, have almost entirely disap- 

 peared. It is an encouraging fact that dealers who here- 

 tofore so largely furnished the miUiners with native birds, 

 report that their orders for such materials are now only 

 one-tenth to one-twentieth as numerous as they were a 

 year ago. It is also highly encouraging to note tbat such 

 trimmings are now confined to the lower grades of goods, 

 and therefore, it is almost needless to say, to tlie lower 

 ranks of wearei-s. The wealthier and niore cultivated 

 women of the land employ other and far more tasteful 

 hat trimmings, as one can easily see, not only by a visit 

 to the millinery establishments, but by observation on the 

 street, in churches, theaters and other public assemblies. 

 It is no longer in "good form" for a ladv to appear in a 

 hat embellished with dead song birds or sea fowl, and the 

 old stock carried over by the trade is evidently being 

 worked off slowly and through the meditun of low caste 



On the whole it may therefore be safely assumed that 

 the effort in behalf of the birds has produced most excel- 

 lent results, far better than even the most sanguine could 

 have anticipated, while the outlook for the futm-e is full 

 of encouragement. But the time has not yet come when 

 effort in this direction may be safely relaxed, There is 

 much still to be done, and now that public sentiment has 

 been so thoroughly and favorably aroused, the way is 

 clearly open to the enforcement of more intelligent and 

 efficient legal protection for our birds. 



In this connection another point is worthy of attention. Of 

 late a new phase of the "bird- wearing craze" has become 

 conspicuous, namely, the wearing of sandpipers, plovers, 

 "snipe" and other shore bu-ds, which during the last few 

 months have been slaughtered especially to furnish mate- 

 rial for the milliner's art, their destruction for this pur- 

 pose proving- more remunerative than for legitimate use 

 as game. This is a matter that should earnestly interest 

 sportsmen and game protective associations, as well as 

 bii-d lovers and philanthropists, and means should be 

 speedily de-rised for checking this new enterpi-ise of the 

 miUiners and their bii-d-wearing patrons. 



The Committee of the American Ornithologists' Union 

 on Bird Protection has thus far met the considerable ex- 

 pense incurred for printing, postage and the distribution 

 of its Bulletin by assessments upon its members, except 

 the sum of one hundred dollars, presented to it by friends 

 of the cause it represents. Fm-ther pecuniary aid would 

 enable the Committee to publish and distribute additional 

 matter of importance relating to bird protection and 

 other-wLse aid its work. It is hoped that tliis mere state- 

 ment of its needs wUl prove an effective appeal to the 

 friends of the cause. Remittances may be sent to Mr. 

 Wm. Dutcher, treastner of the committee, 51 Liberty 

 street. New York city, or to the chairman, Mr. George B. 

 Sennett. 



The committee is desirous of co-operating with aU per- 

 sons or societies interested in bird protection. The head- 

 quarters of the committee are at the American Museum 

 of Natural History, Seventy-seventh street and Eighth 

 avenue, New York city, N. Y., where the officers or any 

 of the members may be addressed. 



George B. Bennett. Chairman, " 

 Eugene P. Bicknell, Secretary, 

 William Dutcher, Ti-easurer, 

 J. A. Allen, 

 WiLLLiM Brewster, 

 Montague Chamberlain, 

 L. S. Foster, 

 Col. N. S. Goss, 

 Dr. George B. Grinn-ell, 

 Dr. J. B. Holder, 



- Committee. 



American Ornithologists' Union.— The fourth Con- 

 gi-ess of the American Ornithologists' Union will convene 

 in Washington, D. C, Tuesday, November 16, 188G, at 

 11 o'clock, A. M. The meetings will be held in the 

 Lecture Room of the U. S. National Sluseum. The 

 presentation of ornithological papers is expected to form 

 a prominent feature of the meetings, and all members, 

 both active and associate, are earnestly requested to con- 

 tribute. A large attendance of associate members is 

 hoped for. 



The Otter in Connecticut.— Tliree otters {Lutra 

 canadensis) were captured in Marlboro, Conn., Oct. 6, by 

 a Mr. Buell. The young of the year, a male and female, 

 are in the collection of Dr. A. K. Fisher, of Wasliington, 

 p. C, the adult female being in my cabinet. Mr. Buell 

 informs me that he has seen tracks of another since he 

 killed the others.— John H. Sage (Portland, Conn.), 



Pine Finches in Maine.— I have recently seen large 

 flocks of pine finches (C. pinus) ; have not observed them 

 in this locality for three years before. Several specimens 

 of Acadian owl (iV. acadica) have been sent me for 

 mounting the past week.— M. (North Cumberland coimty, 

 Maine). 



Recent Arrivals atthe PninADBLPHiA Zoological Garden. 

 —Purchased— One white-throated capuein (Cclms hypolcncm); 

 three covoxaoumacaques (MacacuscyuomolQus) ; one Guineababoon 

 (CimocephaJus siMnx) ; two sooty mangabeys {Ocrcocehua fullQinn- 

 si/s); SIX rhesus macaques (Macacus crythrmis) ; two roFe-bill 

 parrakeets (Platycercus eximius) ; one common tropial (Icterus vxd- 

 garis) ; one pine snake {Pitijopliis mencmoleumis), and two banded 

 rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridun). Presented— Two fish hawks 

 (Pandion lialiaetiis) ; one red-tailed buzzard (Biitco Boreaife) : one 

 mocking bird (Turdus polyglottus) ; two white crovraed-pigeons 

 (Columba leucocephela), and four alligators (Alligator nimisdv- 

 pieijsls). ^ 



A Surplus of over S^,000,000 is the solid guaranty offered by 

 the Travelers, of Hartford, Conn., that all just claims will be paid 

 m full, as they always have haen.— Adv. 



