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numbers during the migrations in the south. If the people of New 
England are not to lose their supply of pond and river ducks, these 
ducks must be protected throughout the spring migrations and dur- 
ing the breeding season in these States as well asin Canada. Experience 
shows that in those months when the shooting of any species is allowed 
all edible ducks will be shot. Let the shooting of all wild fowl stop 
with the first day of January; let our rivers, shores and bays be free 
from shooting from January first to September first, and in time 
wood duck, black duck, teal, loons, Canada geese and other species 
may come back to our streams, ponds and shores, and breed as they 
did long ago. Teal once bred as far south as Long Island. Canada 
geese nested in this State, and even as far south as New Mexico. 
Now they have been driven north, beyond the borders of the United 
States. 
The mere presence of man disturbs the birds very little, where no 
shooting is allowed. This has been proved in many cases where the 
wildest of wild fowl have become very tame in localities where they 
were unmolested. Since spring duck shooting was stopped by law in 
New York State the black ducks have bred in considerable numbers 
on Fisher’s Island. New York and Connecticut have already passed. 
laws which establish the beginning of the close season for wild ducks 
on January 1. New Hampshire takes February 1 as her date, except in 
one county, and a considerable number of other States and provinces 
of North. America are already in advance of Massachusetts in this 
matter. 
A law should be enacted here forbidding the taking or killing of all 
wild fowl and shore birds between the first day of January and the 
first day of September, in order that the birds may be absolutely 
undisturbed during that season and that some of them may breed 
here unmolested. Wherever such a law has been passed and enforced 
in a single State the effect has been beneficial almost immediately, 
and the birds which have been driven out have come back, bred and 
increased rapidly. 
A Resipent Huntine License. 
A law requiring a one-dollar license fee of all resident hunters is 
now an absolute necessity. Unless such a law is passed the non- 
resident license law will remain a dead letter, for unless all hunters 
are licensed it is difficult, if not impossible, for the officers in the 
field to identify non-residents of the State. A resident license law, 
which gives to the hunter no privilege he does not now possess and 
gives to the landowner the right to examine the licenses of all hunters 
who are found upon his land, would furnish money for the protection 
and propagation of game, and would largely do away with a class of 
irresponsible trespassing hunters that is now a source of much irrita- 
tion and injury to the farming population. Such laws are not ex- 
periments. They originated in the agricultural States of the middle 
west, and have given good results in the protection of birds and game 
and the safeguarding of rural property. 
Wherever the agricultural population can be brought to favor and 
respect such laws they will prove an unqualified success. 
PROHIBIT THE SALE OF GAME BIRps. 
How much longer can our game birds be expected to survive with 
a price set upon their heads? If a man should attempt to cut down 
a great tree by snipping off the little twigs with scissors, he would 
