The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-15
protecting fbe Birds.........
LAUNDERING WAY IN WHICH THE
STATES TRY TO DO 1T. {:

While, with the exception Of Alaska.
every state and territory in the United
States has its bird law, comparison of
these laws shows a remarkably wide d.
versity both in their character and in
the accepted definitions of the different
classes of birds to be protected. From the
viewpoint Of the sportsman birds are
either game birds or non-game birds. but
from the point Of view of legislation
they are divided into three groups-sne-
cies which should be Protected at al times.
as thrushes; species which may be killed
at certain seasons for food or sport. as
quail, and species which are Injurious.
and therefore excluded from protection
as the English sparrow The first group
usually is called insectivorous or song
birds; the second, game, and the third in
furious birds; but these groups neces-
sarily are arbitrary, and their limits by
no means certain.
In bulletin published by the agricul-
tural department, DR.. T. S. Palmer. as
s1stant chief Of the biological survey. COW
ers the subject of legislation for the pro-
lection of birds other than game birds.
He remarks that the protection of birds
Is a national, not a local question 1t
deals largely with migra tory snecies
which breed in one section winter in an
other ana traverse several states in pass
ing to and from their breeding grounds
ana so he believes that legislation on
this subject belongs primarily to the
states; out II 1t Is to accomplish its pur-
pose lnere must be greater harmony Of
actlon between the several states.
bIos Which are not fit for food nor in
furious to crops, and more especially
species which are insectivorous. are en-
Titled to protection, but the laws enacted
Tor their preservation lack uniformity.
ana many useful species are not now
protected. Fully 80 per cent of existing
bird legislation has been enacted for the
benefit of game birds, which comprise
less than 70 per cent of all the birds Of
North America. The other species, which
are of special interest to the farmer and
the general public, have received until
recent years scant protection Arizona.
idaho' Indian Territory and New Mexico
protect only game birds, and Florida pro-
tects only game and plume birds
CONSIDERED GAME AND FAIR PREY
game birds are pigeons and doves, flick
ers, bobolinks or reedbirds, meadow Iarks.
blackbirds and robins
The passenger pigeon is almost exter-
minated; the band tailed pigeon is found
from the Rockies to the Pacific, and the
common, mourning, turtle or Carolina
dove is distributed more or less generally
throughout the United States. The wild
pigeon is rarely seen. now, except in two
or three of the states about the great
lakes, where 1t issIrokected rigidly. Al
though it was formerly one of the most
important game bFds:Sf the country, its
numbers have been diminished so In the
last thirty or forty years that it no long
er can be considered as belonging in the
game list MS
The band-tailed pigeon is an important
game bird in only half dozen states, and
| Colorado seems toIbez the only state that
provides an open season. The common
dove is protected in some states through
out the year, in others only during the
breeding season, while, In still others it
is not mentioned In the laws, and hence
may be killed at any season. Doves feed
largely on seeds of noxious weeds, and
as weed destroyer it more than COM
pensates for the grain which it OCCASION
ally consumes and the value of its serv-
ices certainly is greater than the few
cents which It's body brings in market.
OF the woodpeckers, the nickers, or
pigeon woodpeckers, represented in ,ne