Het oO DO TUEBFOINS BU iE, Ey taN 3 
Protection for Mourning Doves — Ili 
By PAuL H. LOBIK 
STATE SENATOR T. MACDOWNING, of Macomb, Illinois, has agreed to 
sponsor a bill in the State Legislature to prevent the hunting of 
mourning doves. This welcome news was received just before press-time 
from Dr. R. M. Strong, honorary president of the Illinois Audubon So- 
ciety, who has been circulating petitions and contacting numerous Illinois 
nature study groups in support of the movement. 
Senator MacDowning plans to present his bill in the senate without 
waiting for sponsorship of a similar bill in the house. Other state repre- 
sentatives and senators, however, have expressed interest in such a bill, 
and can be relied upon to help if given a little encouragement. These 
include: 
Representatives 
George S. Brydia T. J. Sullivan 
W. Roy Donohoo Harry L. Topping 
Joseph G. Kohout G. William Horsley 
Senators 
T. MacDowning Lottie Holman O’Neill 
Milton Mueller Clyde C. Trager 
We understand from Mr. O. C. Perrin, editor of The Prophetstown 
Echo, that Rep. Brydia has been prevented from active support of the bill 
by the serious illness of his wife. Rep. Topping is actively interested in 
the bill; it is noteworthy that he was enlisted in this cause by Mr. Gordon 
Bell of Mazon, Illinois, who is a director of his local Rod and Gun Club. 
Although a hunter himself, Mr. Bell is opposed to the hunting of 
mourning doves because he believes that they are regarded as targets 
only, to be shot for “‘practice” and left to die; the early opening of the 
dove season means that all too often irresponsible hunters are given an 
opportunity to shoot rabbits, pheasants or ducks out of season. 
Some of the many individuals who have expressed support of the dove 
legislation are Mr. John R. Cruttenden, Quincy; Mrs. C. B. Heath, Downers 
Grove; Mr. William Nottingham of the Springfield Nature League; and 
Dolores Bright, secretary of the Kahokia Nature League. The point of 
stressing all these names is that the campaign to stop hunting of mourn- 
ing doves in Illinois is not just the private obsession of the I. A. S. and 
a few bird clubs; it is the spontaneous desire of a large number of 
people representing many groups all over the state. 
The time has come for the next step. We must see to it that Sen. 
MacDowning has plenty of ammunition when he presents his bill before the 
legislature. By “ammunition” we mean signatures on petitions and letters 
from Illinois citizens favoring the bill. Write to Sen. T. MacDowning, 
409 E. Carroll St., Macomb, Ill. If you have been keeping records of 
mourning doves over a period of years, and can prove that the number 
of nests or of total individuals has declined in your vicinity, send your 
figures to him. 
