Forest and Stream 
Terms, $3 a Year. 10 Cts. a Copy, i 
Six Months. $1.50. f 
NEW YORK, SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 
1910. 
VOL. LXX1V.—No. 4. 
No. 127 Franklin St., New York. 
A WEEKLY JOURNAL. 
Copyright, 1909, by Forest and Stream Publishing Co. 
George Bird Grinnell, President, 
Charles B. Reynolds, Secretary, 
Louis Dean Speir, Treasurer, 
127 Franklin Street, New York. 
THE OBJECT OF THIS JOURNAL 
will be to studiously promote a healthful interest 
in outdoor recreation, and to cultivate a refined 
taste for natural objects. 
—Forest and Stream, Aug. 14, 1873. 
TO SAVE THE PASSENGER PIGEON. 
It is gratifying to know that a last effort is 
being made to find and save front final extinc¬ 
tion existing individuals of the passenger pigeon. 
The history of this effort is explained in the 
letter from Dr. C. F. Hodge, printed elsewhere 
in this issue of Forest and Stream. 
The following memorandum was read at the 
meeting of the American Ornithologists’ Union, 
Dec. 9, 1909: 
“Through the interest and generosity of Colonel 
Anthony R. Kuser, I am authorized to offer the fol¬ 
lowing award: 
“Three hundred dollars ($300.00) for first information 
of a nesting pair of wild passenger pigeons (Ectopistes 
migratoria ) undisturbed. 
“Before this award will be paid, such information, ex¬ 
clusive and confidential, must be furnished as will enable 
a committee of expert ornithologists to visit the nest and 
confirm the finding. If the nest and parent birds are 
found undisturbed, the award will be promptly paid. 
(Signed) “C. William Beebe, 
“New York Zoological Park, New York City. 
“Furthermore, Colonel Kuser withdraws his former 
offer of $100 for a fleshly killed passenger pigeon. Fie 
does this on account of the great present danger of 
complete extinction of the species. 
“Until Jan. 1, 1911, during Mr. Beebe’s absence from 
America, address all correspondence on the subject to 
C. F. Flodge, Clark University, Worcester, Mass., who 
will arrange for confirming party and payment of the 
award, if a nest or nesting colony is found.” 
This action is, in part, a result of a paper pre¬ 
sented to the Union by Mr. Hodge on “The 
Present Status of the Passenger Pigeon Prob¬ 
lem.” In this paper he took the position that 
as long as there is life there is hope—as long as 
there is any possibility of stragglers of this valu¬ 
able bird existing on the continent we ought to 
do all in our power to save them. He said that 
he would not kill a specimen for $1,000 even to 
prove that he had seen one, and wished that 
everyone else felt as he does. All offers for 
skins or dead birds ought to be withdrawn, be¬ 
cause at the present crisis these might result in 
killing the last pair. 
At the close of the session Colonel Kuser said 
to Dr. Hodge that he wished to withdraw his 
offer for a freshly killed passenger pigeon. Dr. 
Hodge said that he did not expect everyone to 
agree with him, but Colonel Kuser replied that 
he also felt that he would not have one of the 
birds killed for $1,000. “Well then,” replied Dr. 
Hodge, “why not let your offer stand for the 
location of a live specimen ?” Colonel Kuser 
said: “I would gladly give $200 for that.” 
Some discussion as to how the award should 
be announced followed. It hardly seemed worth 
while to offer an award for the sight of a bird 
that might, be lost or dead the next day. It 
was clear that the important thing is to arouse 
universal interest in the matter and to take some 
action which may lead to saving the species from 
extermination. Finally Dr. Hodge said in effect: 
“What we want is to locate a breeding colony. 
Why do you not offer the award of $200 for an 
undisturbed nest? Then the birds will be there 
long enough to make identification absolutely 
sure; we shall know that they are actually 
breeding, and around such a find we can organize 
adequate protective measures.” “I would give 
$300 for that,” exclaimed Colonel Kuser,” and 
so,the matter was left for Messrs. Beebe and 
Hodge to draw up the announcement. 
It seems now with Colonel Kuser’s generous 
offer for a beginning, that an adequate search of 
the American continent should be set on foot, 
and if any of the birds are found breeding we 
ought to quickly effect the organization of a 
passenger pigeon restoration club with member¬ 
ship distributed throughout the United States and 
Canada. This club could then take up the de¬ 
tails of protective work. In connection with the 
State Game Commissions and sportsmen’s clubs 
it could obtain adequate State legislation and 
warden service, so that for a term of years the 
birds may be permitted to feed and breed in 
absolute safety and be accorded the freedom of 
the continent. The organization of the people 
of a continent around such an interest is in it¬ 
self an inspiring thing. 
This plan should be effective as well in dis¬ 
covering existing passenger pigeons as in pro¬ 
tecting them when discovered. 
With the support of President Taft, the 
movement to bring about the enactment of uni¬ 
form laws in the various States should be pro¬ 
ductive of results this winter. The Legislatures 
now in session will probably be influenced to a 
certain extent by the President’s message, and 
some good, at least, can with confidence be 
looked for. Uniform game legislation is very 
much needed between the Northern and South¬ 
ern States. Uniform fish laws between States 
through or by which flow the same rivers are 
necessary if satisfactory protective and propa¬ 
gative work is to be accomplished. So far, how¬ 
ever, comparatively little has been done by the 
States to bring about the desired results, though 
the need is patent to all and there are no ob¬ 
stacles of importance to be surmounted. 
Hon. James S. Whipple, Forest, Fish and 
Game Commissioner, announces that the appli¬ 
cation blanks for T910 tree distribution are ready 
for mailing. Every landowner in the State who 
has idle land should plant it with trees. In the 
spring of 1909, through the commissioner’s ef¬ 
forts, over one million trees were purchased by 
private landowners and approximately one thou¬ 
sand acres were reforested. Recently reports 
have been received by the commissioner from 
these 180 purchasers, situated in forty-nine coun¬ 
ties, and all are satisfied with the success of the 
work. Commissioner Whipple has given the sub¬ 
ject of tree planting much study and is firmly 
convinced that it is one of the best investments 
that can be made. Every landowner has some 
land which he should plant, and in order to 
assist such parties the commission has prepared 
a pamphlet entitled “Instructions for Reforest¬ 
ing Land” which will be sent to any resident who 
will write to the commission at Albany for it. 
K 
The fly- and bait-casting club which was dis¬ 
cussed last year is now being formed in London, 
and as the number of prominent anglers who 
have expressed a wish to join it is already large, 
its successful organization is assured. Perhaps 
other casting clubs will be formed in England, 
but as this one will become a leader in the sport 
for a time at least, it is to be hoped that the 
contests it will hold will be governed, so far as 
may be possible, by rules similar to those now 
followed by Australian and American casting 
clubs. We believe the Australians are following 
American rules, and if these can with consist¬ 
ency be adopted by the British and French cast¬ 
ers, records made under them will indeed be¬ 
come world’s records. We do not suggest the 
adoption of these rules because they are Ameri¬ 
can, nor claim perfection for them. But they 
have stood the test of the years, hence are be¬ 
yond the trial stage, and seem to possess suffi¬ 
cient merit to deserve consideration by our Brit¬ 
ish friends. 
K 
The extraordinary snows which fell at Christ¬ 
mas time and about mid January covered the 
ground deep with snow. Press reports—no doubt 
much exaggerated — declare that in Orange 
county, New York, the snow lies two feet deep 
and is causing the death of rabbits, hares and 
partridges. It is of course possible that Euro¬ 
pean partridges may have been starved to death, 
but the hardy ruffed grouse of our Northern 
woods need scarcely fear this danger. Happily 
the snow during these two storms was nowhere 
crusted and so quail were not imprisoned. 
On Monday of this week Mr. Merritt intro¬ 
duced in the Assembly at Albany a bill authoriz¬ 
ing the Forest, Fish and Game Commission to 
reforest lands in the forest preserve, to propa¬ 
gate or purchase trees for the purpose, and to 
sell trees under proper restrictions to citizens 
of the State for reforesting land. The bill car¬ 
ries an appropriation of $10,000. 
