4 
AiiKlCL^LTUKE OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
[No. 2, 
thorough investigation quite a revolution has taken place in our esti- 
mate of these birds, and in the light of to day we feel it safer to give 
them the benefit of the doubt and protect them along with the good 
birds, at least until their record is proven beyond doubt to be bad. 
I would here say that the only proof positive as to a bird’s food habits 
acceptable to ornithologists, is the contents of its stomach ; and that 
testimony should be held conclusive only, when it has been applied 
every month of the year and in all parts of its habitat. 
But in this connection, and right here, it is well to remember a cer- 
tain peculiarity about bird feeding; during that stage of the birds ex- 
istence, from the moment of hatching until it is fully fledged, it is, so 
far as we know, nourished almost entirely upon animal food, whether 
it be larva, worm, insect, fl}^ or flesh. Therefore when a bird is seen 
with a caterpillar, beetle or moth in its bill, it is not safe to decide 
that it is an insectivorous bird, for it may be taking food to its young, 
while preferring and eating grain for itself. 
W e have now reduced our legal wants to two : 
1. Protection for all non-game birds except the English or house 
sparrow. 
2. The outlawing and destruction of the English sparrow. Passer 
Dornesticas. 
Let us see against what abuses we must fortify our proposed bill for 
protection : 
First. VVe must put a stop to the work of the feather collector, who, 
for the use of the milliner, slaughters our insectivorous birds of the 
finest plumage and sweetest song. Can there be any doubt that 
t housand of our beautiful birds are yearly sacrificed to a silly fashion ? 
If feathers must be had tor women’s wear, are not those of our do- 
mestic fowl, of the game birds when killed for market, and the beau- 
tiful ostrich feathers grown especially for the purpose, suflicient for ' 
demands wdthin reason ? we think clearly, yes, and we would have 
our song birds increase in numbers and become more tame and do- 
mestic. 
Second. We must put a stop to the nest robbing, stringing of eggs 
upon straws, and the too frequent use of fire-arms, sling-shots, pea- 
shooters and such. This mischief is in great part the work of the bad 
boy, or the thoughtless boy, who kills anything he sees just for the 
fun of the thing. Our best birds suffer to an enormous extent from 
this source, and nothing but the law and its stringent enforcement 
will remedy this long- standing evil. 
Third. The indiscriminate killing of birds and collecting of eggs in 
the name of science. There is no desire on our part to check or to 
embarrass in any way the most thorough scientific investigation, nor 
to prevent any one from having a bird or a collection of birds 
mounted for his own pleasure and study ; but under the plea “ for 
scientific purposes,” there is too little discrimination for either the 
good of birds or science. It is to prevent the abuse of this privilege 
and to assist honest collectors, that we recommend the issuing of per- 
mits to well-meaning and deserving persons of a suitable age. This 
plan is now in vogue in the State of New Tork and works well. It 
makes the collector feel secure in his right to go in all suitable places, 
and makes the owner of the land feel sure that he has a friend who 
will protect rather than destroy his birds. 
Our second general want is easily expressed, but the outlawing and 
the extermination of the English sparrow is not so easily done. The 
