The Republican journal., 1883-06-07
Repeal Of the Taxidermist Law.

To THE EDITOR OF TIE JOURNAL: Mr.. Ever
EFT Smith, eX-Commissioner of Game and Fisher
les, is out with article protesting against the
peal of the TaXidermist law, and to my mind not
without good reasons. The law may be the very
essence of wisdom, but fail to see it. Is not this
bird protection ovcrdone in this instance? That
there useful birds that should be exempt from
the persecution of the gunner have no doubt but
the bare fact that Il bird will cat insects does not
always establish it a public benefactor. 1t de-
ponds upon the kind of insects the bird destroys.
Some insects are beneficial to the farmer, while
others the reverse.
A noted naturalist, out of the State, recently
made the statement that he was unable yet to say
whether the birds, rule, did not do quite
much mischief as they did good by killing insects
calculated to benefit the farmers. An ndscrimi-
nate slaughter of insects is no more the part of
wisdom than the killing of the useful birds would
be. We are little puzzled whether the term ''In-
sectiverous does not cover all the birds that allow
insects to feed on them well as those that feed
on insects If any one knows Of any bird that will
not sit silently or tunefuly by and see the Colorado
beetle destroy the potato crop would like to
have him stand up to be counted, or if he knows
any bird that will trouble the currant worm, cab
him. The writer has paid some attention to gar
dening and fruit growingas well as to the encour-
agement of birds; has dispensed with the house
cat; and some years ten different species of wild
birds have nested within many feet of his build
ings In but very few instances has he known any
bird to interfere with the pests above named, but
in some cases the worms would do business right
under the nests If the birds, and Paris green,
sulphur and the like were Just as much in demand
as when the birds were not there. The orioe will
destroy the tentiess caterpillar, as have seen him
in the act The sparrow is a seed eating bird for
the most part Robin red breast will gobble up the
angleworm and now and then IA grub but his chief
delight is to get into stawberry patch or cherry
tree and wink his tail at you when he knows that
there is a fine for shooting him. The protection of
many of the birds Just amounts to an increased
food supply for southern brethren of All colors.
"Crow and buzLard excepted is their rule. and
ii reads So much like "croWs and hawks excepted
that the law may seem to be devised in their inter
est. The robin is considered dainty bit the
Southerncr'5 table. The same with the bobolink
under he name of rice bird, butter bird, etc. ac-
cor,ilng to locality, and on with many other
kinds.
do not believe i'll the ndiscriminate destruction
of birds, STILL ii is little less wise than the nds-
criminate protection afforded by the act of last
winter. We need some way open whereby we can
gain a better knowledge of our birds without max
ing naturalist teon. Why not have an insect
law prohibiting the destruction of any insect be-
cause ii is found that some insects benefit the farm
er: II would cut on further investigation and in
our bliss we might imagine them All onr best
friends. without means of advancing in the way of
knowledge.
"a worm may eat of a King, man may eat of The
isl " he w b.,t h.th of
but under the present law he must net touch the
bird that hath ate OF worm, ''croW> and buZZaris
excepted" AGRICOLA.