62 
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 
Npui fnrk 2ooln§iral g>nnptg 
OBJECTS OF THE SOCIETY 
f A PUBLIC ZOOLOGICAL FARK. «I A PUBLIC AQUA¬ 
RIUM. <JTHE PRESERVATION OF OUR NATIVE 
ANIMALS. <ITHE PROMOTION OF ZOOLOGY. 
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 
Published bi-monthly at the Office of the Society, 
111 Broadway, New York City. 
Copy, 25 Cents Yearly, $1.50 
MAILED FREE TO MEMBERS 
Sl'BSCR IPTION AND EDITORIAL OFFICES 
ZOOLOGICAL PARK, NEW YORK CITY 
Elwin R. Sanborn, Editor 
Copyright, 1923, tty the New York Zoological Society. 
Spparlmpntii -. 
Mammals Aquarium 
William T. Hornaday Charles H. Townsend 
Birds Reptiles 
Lee S. Crandall. Raymond L. Ditmars. 
William Bef.be. Honorary Curator. Birds 
Each author is responsible for the scientific accuracy and 
the proof reading of his contribution. 
Vol. XXVI May, 1923 No. 3 
We think it vitally necessary that the taking 
of surplus protected animals should, everywhere 
and at all times, be accompanied by strict legal 
limitations as to the precise number that may be 
taken each year. We think that the opening up 
of a protected species, even for ten days, to free 
trapping or killing by every citizen who chooses 
to ask for a permit, is wrong, and in most cases 
certain to prove disastrous. The killing of wild 
game mammals or birds, or of fur-bearing ani¬ 
mals that by long immunity from slaughter have 
become fearless and tame, is a delicate and 
dangerous proceeding. If not held down to 
fixed lines by iron-clad regulations the result 
is—unjustifiable slaughter! 
I think that the only way to regulate it is by 
fixing in advance the maximum number that may 
be taken, and enforcing the limitation. 
The New York State Conservation Commis¬ 
sion is now convinced that the time has arrived 
wherein it is necessary to take toll of the beaver 
population of the Adirondacks. In response to 
an inquiry for information. Chief Game Pro¬ 
tector Llewellyn Legge wrote me on May 16, 
as follows: 
“As to the beaver, the Department made 
a careful survey of the beaver and found 
they were doing a great amount of damage 
in the Adirondack Mountains, and quite 
some damage in the Catskill park region, 
and have from time to time issued permits 
to persons to kill beaver where they were 
doing damage to private property. These 
permits provide that the pelts must be sent 
to the Conservation Commission. Of course, 
we realize there were some beaver trapped 
illegally, but even with that drain it did 
not keep the number down, as they con¬ 
tinued to increase and the property dam¬ 
aged was increasing very rapidly, so this 
year the Commission favored a bill which 
was before the Legislature making an open 
season on beaver during the month of 
March, said bill giving the commission the 
right to designate in what Counties beaver 
could be taken. 
“As I have stated, through our Forestry 
Department, we know the areas in the 
mountains where the greatest damage is 
being done, so that is the place probably 
where the licenses will be effective to take 
beaver. With the law as it is now, if there 
is any danger of extermination of the beaver 
because of their having an open season of 
four weeks in March, the Commission has 
the authority, without any legislative action, 
to prohibit the taking of beaver for a period 
of time at the expiration of which it would 
automatically open again, and then the 
same action could be taken in closing under 
the statute, so that with the present law 
providing for four weeks open season, the 
control of the whole matter is placed in the 
hands of the Commission. The four weeks 
ought to take care of the surplus beaver, 
and as I have stated; and if there is too 
great an extermination, the Commission can 
control it under the statute.” W. T. H. 
MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIETY 
The following persons were elected members of 
the Society, March and April, 1923, by the Execu¬ 
tive Committee: 
March, 1923 
ANNUAL 
Cecil Barret Mrs. Arthur Butler Graham 
Mrs. Cecil Clark Davis Mrs. Harry C. Hand 
Benjamin H. Doane Miss M. Helen Hicks 
Mrs. Charles H. Higgins 
April, 1923 
LIFE 
S. Prentiss Baldwin Robert Woods Bliss 
ANNUAL 
John W. Cutler Warner Dayton Orvls 
Mrs. Warner Dayton Orvia 
