Federal Protection of Migratory Birds. 15 
In the Southeastern States a similar destruction of rice 
fields has threatened in the invasions of hosts of bobolinks, 
commonly known there in fall as rice birds and farther 
north as reed birds. During the spring and summer months 
the bobolink renders valuable services as a destroyer of 
injurious insects, but late in the summer and in fall it 
changes its habits and inflicts serious damage to crops, espe¬ 
cially in certain Southeastern States, where rice growing 
has again begun to flourish. An investigation by the Bio¬ 
logical Survey showed that the depredations of the bobolink 
in the fall of 1918 resulted in losses to rice growers in this 
section of about $150,000. The birds descended on the rice 
fields in such numbers and were so heedless of efforts to 
drive them away that it was apparent that the only effectual 
remedy would be to shoot them when in the rice belt and 
when migrating in that direction. 
The Secretary of Agriculture, therefore, issued a permit 
on January IT, 1919, authorizing the shooting of bobolinks 
from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset from September 
1 to October 30 in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, 
Maryland, and the District of Columbia; and from August 
16 to November 15 in Virginia, North Carolina, South Caro¬ 
lina, Georgia, and Florida. Birds so killed are not to be 
sold, offered for sale, shipped for sale, or wantonly destroyed. 
They may be used as food by persons killing them or they 
may be transported for the use of hospitals or charitable 
institutions. It is believed that action taken under this 
permit will insure rice growers against the depredations of 
the bobolink without endangering the species. 
ADMINISTRATION OF THE LAW. 
In the Bureau of Biological Survey, which has direct 
charge of the enforcement of the law, are many unusual 
advantages for administering its provisions. For years this 
bureau has been investigating the relation of birds to agri¬ 
culture, their breeding habits, and the times and lines of 
their migratory flights. It now has about a million and a 
half migration cards covering a period of nearly 35 years, 
constituting undoubtedly the most valuable record of this 
kind in existence. It is also well equipped through its corps 
of experts and hundreds of collaborators in all parts of the 
