iia leNe Os se AUID.U BOON’ *S:0 GLE Ty 45 
Cat Ordinances and State Laws 
The President and the Secretary of the Illinois Audubon So- 
ciety frequently receive letters of inquiry about possible legisla- 
tion relating to the cat nuisance. Inquiries about the laws of 
Illinois having to do with the protection of non-game and insec- 
tivorous birds are also frequent. For these reasons it seems 
advisable to reprint a resume of the bird laws of the state as 
it appeared two years ago, and preface it with suggestions as 
to working out a possible solution for the cat problem. 
Without amending the present laws of the state it does not 
seem possible to outlaw the stray cat. In several instances cat 
ordinances have been framed for adoption by city councils but 
expert legal advice has each time been to the effect that there 
is no foundation in state law upon which to base such ordinances. 
It has been pointed out before that the law granting power to 
municipalities to restrain certain animals from running at large 
might be amended to include cats. A simple way to bring this 
about would be to insert four words in the revised statutes as 
they now are. This would make the eightieth item in paragraph 
No. 62 of article No. 5 read as follows, the changes being print- 
ed in italics: ‘The city council in cities and the President and 
board of trustees in villages shall have the following powers: 
“Eightieth: To regulate, restrain and prohibit the running at 
large of horses, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, geese, dogs, and cats, 
and to inpose a tax on dogs and cats.”’ 
Clothed with these powers, municipalities should adopt cat 
ordinances providing for the extermination of stray and un- 
restrained cats, and officers should be designated to collect and 
dispose of such cats in a humane way. 
The attention of the State Department of Game and Fish 
has been called to this matter of amending the state laws and 
co-operation of the authorities has been promised. Chief War- 
den Wm. J. Stratton believes that there should be power to 
restrain hunting dogs during the breeding season of ground 
nesting birds. This is an important matter and it is hoped 
that this and the other items mentioned will be included in a 
bill which Audubonites and sportsmen alike can support at the 
coming session of the legislature. 
In response to frequent inquiries the Illinois laws relating to 
non-game or insectivorous birds, they are here reprinted as they 
appeared in the Spring 1920 Bulletin, with explanatory com- 
ment. No changes were made in the law in the 1921 session of 
the legislature. 
The Illinois Law Relating to Non-Game or Insectivorous Birds. 
SECTION 17. NON-GAME BiRpbs. It shall be unlawful: 
(a) For any person to shoot, kill, destroy or catch, or at- 
tempt to shoot, kill, destroy or catch, or have in possession, living 
or dead, any song, insectivorous or non-game seed-eating bird, 
