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ORDERS OP BIRDS— INTRODUCTION 
Causes of Decrease in Bird Life. 
The temptation to offer a full statement of the 
causes and means of prevention of bird-slaugh- 
ter is very great; but those subjects must be 
left to other pages. There is, however, much 
food for thought in the following summary of 
causes of destruction, as reported by the one hun- 
dred and forty-four observers who entered into 
this branch of the subject. They are listed very 
nearly in the order of their importance according 
to the reports: 
No. Reports. 
1. Sportsmen, and “ so-called sportsmen”. . . 54 
2. Boys who shoot 42 
3. Market-hunters and “pot-hunters” 26 
4. Plume-hunters, and milliners’ hunters. . . 32 
5. “Shooters, generally” 21 
6. Egg-collecting, chiefly by small boys. ... 20 
7. English sparrow 18 
S. Clearing off timber, development of towns 
and cities 31 
9. Italians, and others, who devour song- 
birds 12 
10. Cheap firearms 5 
11. Drainage of marshes 5 
12. Non-enforcement of laws 5 
13. Gun-clubs and hunting contests 5 
14. Collectors (ornithologists and taxider- 
mists) 5 
15. Colored population 4 
16. Indians (for decrease of game quadrupeds) 4 
The Slaughter of Birds for Food. — The 
craze for the destruction of bird-life is almost 
beyond belief. No matter how much the bird- 
protectors may say about the destruction of our 
birds, and their impending extermination, far 
more than the half will remain untold. As our 
game-birds become fewer and fewer, the mar- 
ket-shooters begin to slaughter birds of song 
and beauty, which twenty years ago were safe 
because they were not considered “game.” Even 
ten years ago, no self-respecting American would 
have lowered himself to the level of the hawk 
and buzzard by killing and eating the poor little 
sand-piper and snow-bunting. But mark what 
is going on to-day: 
There is now pending (1903) in the courts the 
case of the People of the State of New York 
against two men of New York City, to enforce 
the payment of fines amounting to $1,168,315 for 
having in their possession contrary to law, in a 
cold storage warehouse, certain dead birds out of 
season, game and not game. When the state 
game wardens searched the premises of the 
defendants, it is stated that they found the fol- 
lowing appalling mass of birds : 
8,058 Snow-Buntings! 
7,607 Sand-Pipers! 
5,218 Plover! 
7,003 Snipe, 
78S Yellow Legs, 
7,560 Grouse, 
4,385 Quail, 
1,756 Ducks, 
288 Bobolinks, 
96 Woodcock. 
And all this in one cold storage warehouse, for 
poor, starving New York! 
To the public it was a profound surprise to 
find that snow-buntings and sand-pipers were be- 
ing slaughtered by thousands for food. At least 
half a dozen species of song-birds are served on 
bills of fare under the name of reed-bird. This 
fact is equivalent to a notice that hereafter no 
bird is safe from the deadly “market-shooter,” 
and only the strictest watch and the severest 
measures will save any considerable portion of 
our birds. 
Protect the Birds. — Young reader, learn to- 
day that the birds are the natural protectors of 
man and his crops from the hordes of insects 
which without them ravage leaf, flower and 
fruit. But for the hawks and owls, the wild 
mice and rats soon would multiply into an in- 
tolerable pest. But for the insectivorous birds, 
destroying grubs and perfect insects by the 
million, the life of the farmer, fruit-grower and 
forester would be one long battle against the 
pests of the insect-world. 
Learn that it is wise to encourage birds, as 
well as to protect them from slaughter. A little 
food intelligently bestowed is always accepted 
as a token of friendship and hospitality. Any 
country dweller can draw birds around him, if 
he will. Why grudge a few simple shelter-boxes, 
a few handfuls of grain, and a few pounds of 
fat pork when in exchange for them you may 
have, even in winter’s dreariness, the woodpeck- 
ers, chickadees, crows, and many other winter 
“residents” and “visitants”? Surely, no right- 
hearted man or boy can prefer solitude to the 
company of cheerful and beautiful feathered 
friends. 
Don’t make Bird or Egg “collections.” — 
Learn to take broad views — bird’s-eye views, 
