8 
blamed for eating cherries and other small fruits. 
This charge is doubtless just; but we must remember 
that it is not more than two months that he is in¬ 
jurious in this wag, while during the other four 
months of his stay with us he must be regarded as 
beneficial. 
Redstart. Setopliaji. ruticilla. 
HOW TO PROTECT BIRDS. 
Of the measures for the protection of birds, per¬ 
haps the most important is the bird-law of Mas¬ 
sachusetts, (Acts of 1870, Chap. 304.) which pun¬ 
ishes by fine whoever takes or kills, sells, buys, or 
has in his possession, the birds named below. 
Woodcock are protected between the 1st day of 
January and th; loth day of August; ruffed grouse 
.(commonly called partridges), between the 12th day 
of January and the 1st day of October; quails be¬ 
tween the 15th of December and 15th of October. 
Forfeits, twenty-five dollars for ea.h bird above- 
named killed or sold cut of season. 
Pinnated grouse are protected till June 1, 1876; 
wood or summer clucks, black ducks, and teals pro¬ 
tected between 1st of March and 1st of September. 
Ptarmigans. 
Forfeits, twenty-five dollars for each bird killed or 
sold out of season. 
Marsh and beach birds are protected between 
April 1st and July 15th; exceptions, snipe and 
plover. Forfeits, ten dollars for each bird. 
Ail oilier birds, their nests and eggs (except crow 
black-birds, crows, herons, bitterns, Canada geese, 
and water-fowl not previously mentioned), are pro¬ 
tected through the year. Forfeit, ten (lollais for 
each offence. 
The State constabulary, mayor and aldermen and 
selectmen of the several cities and towns of this Com¬ 
monwealth shall cause the provisions of this law to 
be enforced in their respective places; and all lor- 
feitures accruing under these sections shall be pan , ^ 
one half to the informant or prosecutor, and one 
half to the city or town where the offence is com- > 
mitted. , 
In itself, perhaps, no fault can be found "with tins 
law. It is only because it is not properly executed 
that it falls short of accomplishing its object. In the 
n ighborhood of the large cities, it doubtless prevents 
some injury to birds: but in the small country towns 
we think it-is very rarely that an arrest is made; and 
the selectmen aie quite apt to look the other way to 
save the trouble of interfering wilh a neighbor or 
townsman. We have repeatedly seen strings of 
ruffed grouse, containing some dozens, which had 
been taken in abominable snares, being sent in to the 
Boston market from the small towns of Massachusetts. 
We believe it is still a common practice with many 
boys to make collections of birds’-eggs, and to take 
not one egg only, but the whole nest, eggs and all, 
and shoot the parent birds, too, if possible. It is 
difficult to say how such things may best be prevented ; 
but much good would be done, we are confident, if 
the selectmen would take the trouble to hunt up and 
punish a few cases which should serve as an example 
to others. Parents and teachers also may do much 
by way of precept and example, and right-minded 
boys may do their part by influencing their compan¬ 
ions to abandon so cruel a practice. 
Fig. IS. — Meadow-lark. Slurnelln magna. 
BIRD-HOUSES. 
Kext to the law, the most important measure for 
the protection of birds is the putting up of accom¬ 
modations for them, and thus inducing them to settle 
on our estates. There is no reason why every one 
wdio has a half-acre of land should not have two or 
three pairs of birds nesting thereon. Perhaps many 
do not realize what simple accommodations swallows 
bluebirds, wrens, and ether bird*, are eager to avail 
themselves of. Simple and inexpensive arranre- 
ments are just as satisfactory to them as the most 
elegant and costly ornamental houses ; and no one 
need be prevented by the fear of expense from fur¬ 
nishing dwelling-places, rent free, to these interestino- 
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