8 AGRICtTLTURE OF PENNSYLVANIA. [No. 2, 
It is stated that up to this time the number of prairie dogs and 
ground squirrels killed had had no perceptible effect on their abundance 
in the territory, and as the money in the treasury was exhausted, the 
Governor, with the permission of the President, called a special session 
of the Legislature and the act was repealed. 
Beside its great cost, there are other reasons why a bounty seems 
objectionable. It opens up many ways of encouraging fraud, and 
bringing legislative actions into disrepute, so that a thoughtful man 
would hesitate a long time before approving such a measure. But 
while the case seems desperate, and an immediate cure is out of the 
(luestion, there is no reason why a check shall not be put to the evil 
if the people are sufficiently in earnest to work together to that end. <1 
A gradual diminution of the numbers of the sparrows can also be made 
at a nominal cost to the State, if we adopt some reasonable plan of 
operation and give it time for a fair trial. Let us be once sure that 
we are working in the right direction to gain the desired end and we 
can hasten the accomplishment of our good work by increasing our 
forces and expenses to any desired degree. 
Rest assured the sparrow has come to stay, and at our expense. 
Now shall we let him have the grain that should go into our granaries, 
or shall we set aside a good liberal sum out of the State Treasury and 
put it into the hands of men who will make the shortest work with 
him ? 
Whatever laws are passed remember it is only the rigid enforcement 
of them that will produce the required results, and that a large 
majority of our citizens must work together to make them successful. 
Let me call your attention to a page or two of the advance sheets of 
the government reports heretofore referred to. 
Section Second.— Recommendations for Legislation. 
The following recommendations are respectfully submitted to the 
legislative bodies of the various states and territories. 
1. The immediate repeal of all existing laws which afford protection 
to the English sparrow. 
2. The enactment of laws legalizing the killing of the English spar- 
row at all seasons oi the year, and the destruction of its nests, eggs and 
young. 
3. The enactment of laws making it a misdemeanor, punishable by 
fine or imprisonment, or both — {a) to intentionally give food or shei- 
ler to the English sparrow, except with a view to its ultimate destruc- 
tion — [h) to introduce or aid in introducing it into new localities — [c) 
to interfere with persons, means, or appliances engaged in, or designed 
for, its destruction or the destruction of its nests, eggs, or young. 
4. The enactment of laws protecting the great Northern shrike or 
butcher bird, the sparrow hawk, and the screech owl, which species 
feed largely on the English sparrow. 
5. The enactment of laws providing for the appointment of at least 
one person holding civil office, preferably the game constable, where 
such officer exists, in each town or village, who shall serve without 
additional compensation, and whose duty it shall be to destroy or bring 
about the destruction of English sparrows in the streets and parks and 
O’ her places where the use of firearms is not permitted. In the larger 
I owns and cities this office might be well imposed upon the commis- 
sioners of public parks. 
