402 
BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA 
PROTECTION OF BIRDS. 
AN ACT 
Prohibiting the killing or taking of song and wild birds , except in certain cases , and 
providing a penalty therefor. 
Whereas, The wilful killing or taking of song and wild birds is the cause of 
great injury to the agricultural interests on account of the increase in noxious in¬ 
sects which would otherwise be destroyed by said birds ; therefore, 
Section 1 . Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Com¬ 
monwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met , and it is hereby enacted by 
the authority of the same , That no person in any of the counties of this common¬ 
wealth shall kill, wound, trap, net, snare, catch, with bird lime or with any similar 
substance, poison or drug any bird of song or any linnet, blue bird, yellow hammer? 
yellow bird, thrush, woodpecker, catbird, pewee, martin, bluejay, oriole, kildeer, 
snow bird, grass bird, grosbeak, bobolink, phoebe-bird, humming bird, wren, robin, 
meadowlark, nighthawk, starling, or any wild bird other than a game bird. Nor 
shall any person purchase or have in possession or expose for sale any of the afore¬ 
said song or wild birds or any part thereof, after the same shall have been killed. 
For the purposes of this act the following shall be considered game birds : The 
Anatidce, commonly known as swans, geese, brant and river and sea ducks ; the 
Rallidce, commonly known as rails, coots, mud-hens, and gallinules ; the Limicolce, 
commonly known as shore birds, plovers, surf birds, snipe, woodcock, sandpipers, 
tattlers and curlews; the Gallince } commonly known as wild turkeys, grouse, 
prairie chickens, pheasants, partridges and quail, and the Columbce , commonly 
known as doves and wild pigeons. 
Section 2. No person shall take or needlessly destroy the nests or eggs of any 
song or wild birds. 
Section 3. Sections one and two of this act shall not apply to any person holding 
a certificate giving the right to take birds and their nests and eggs for scientific pur¬ 
poses as provided for in section four of this act. 
Section 4. Certificates may be granted by the prothonotary of any county in the 
commonwealth to any properly accredited person of the age of eighteen years or up¬ 
ward, permitting the holder thereof to collect birds, their nests or eggs for strictly 
scientific purposes. In order to obtain such certificate the applicant for the same 
must present to the said prothonotary written testimony from two well-known scien¬ 
tific men certifying to the good character and fitness of said applicant to be entrusted 
with such privileges ; must pay to the said prothonotary the sum of one dollar to 
defray the necessary expense attending the granting of such certificates, and must 
file with the said prothonotary a properly executed bond in the sum of fifty dollars, 
signed by two responsible citizens of the commonwealth as sureties. This bond 
shall be forfeited to the commonwealth and the certificate become void upon proof 
that the holder of such a certificate has killed any bird or taken the nest of an}> bird 
for other than the purposes named in sections three and four of this act, and shall be 
further subject for each such offense to the penalties provided therefor in section 
seven of this act. 
Section 5. The certificate authorized by this act shall be in force for one year only 
from the date of their issue and shall not be transferable. 
Section 6. The English or European house sparrow ( Passer domesticus ) is not 
included among the birds protected by this act. 
Section 7. Any person or persons violating any of the provisions of this act, shall 
