The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-08-31
BIRDS AND GAME.
Important Provisions of State and
Federal Laws.

FSoerdI Laws
| Washington, D. c., August 23.-In or
der to secure a more general observance
of the act of May o. 1900. entitled AN
act to enlarge the powers of the De-
partment of Agriculture prohibit the
! transportation by interstate commerce
of game killed In violation of local laws,
and for other purposes" the department
invites attention to the provisions Of the
federal and state laws relating to ship
ment of birds and game. These laws
| are intended to preserve for the common
good certain animals and birds that are
valuable as food for sport, or as destroy
ers of pests. They are generally sup
ported by public sentiment, but are fire.
| quently violated through ignorance. as
| comparatively few persons realize the
rapid incvrease In protective legislation
or the numerous restrictions which have
| been imposed on the trade in game.
| Sportsmen, market hunters, game deal
| ers, commission merchants, railroad and
| express agents and all other persons
| concerned should familiarize themselves
80 far possible with the regulations
now In force. Copies of state laws may
eb obtained from fish and game wardens
Of secretaries of state. and a summary Of
the federal, state and county laws pub
| lished as Farmers Bulletin No. 160) may
be had on application to this department..
The most important provision of the va
rious laws may be briefly stated as fol-
lows
% Shipment.-It is unlawful for any
person to deliver to any common carrier
for transportation from one state or ter
ritory to another, or Tor any common
carrier or consignee knowingly TO re-
ceive any wild animals or birds killed in
violation of local laws. This prohibition
applies not only to game killed out of
| season, but to that captured in an lille
gal manner (by traps, nets, etc., or for
| illegal purposes, as, in some states for
sale or shipment.
J 90 Packages must be marked.-Every
package containing game or birds. or
any parts thereof, when shipped by inter-
state commerce, must bear a statement
of the contents and the shippers name
plainly marked on the outside. Inatten-
/ ton to these details renders the shipper
| liable not only to loss of his game, but
also to heavy penalties for evasions of
the law.
CD EMISSIONS. - Shipping game in
trunks, butter boxes, or egg cases. con-
cealing 1t among other goods; marking il
butter" dressed poultry" or "house-
hold goods; ADDRESSING it with tag
made specially to hide the shippers name
and statement of contents; or resorting
/
ture of the shipment-are all evasions OF
the law and subject the shipper to the
| same penalties as for It's direct violation
False marking of packages is treated as
a serious offense under some state laws
and is punishable by special penalties.
a. Special Neutrality-suspicious. fifths of
export of deer at any season; all those in
| which quail occur, except three in the
south, prohibit export OF these birds at
all seasons; and practically every state
where prairie chickens are found prohib-
| Its their export. AS a result of these re-
west to ship quail or prairie chicke ms to
market outside of the state without vio-
90 Western game.-All the states
| and territories west Of the Mississippi,
| game protected by local laws. OF the
six exceptions, Louisiana and Texas pro-
hibit export Of all game except a few
| birds, while Arkansas, Mi souri, Mon
| tana and Wyoming either TT hibit ex-
| other restrictions. Eastern dealers in or
| dering or receiving such game from these
states encou age rect violations OF 10
| cal laws and may re..Ae4 ,n.hls,l,,s i'd
| BILE to the penalties provided for violat-
| ing the federal law.
| 90 Alaskan Game.-Under the act of
| June T. 1902, the shipment from Alaska
| of any hides or carcasses of deer, moose
| mountain sheep, mountain goats, or parts
| thereof, or any wild birds. or parts there
| of. is prohibited at all times Trophies
| specimens for scientific purposes, and live
game may, however, be shipped under
| permit from the secretary of agriculture
% Game for Propagation.-States
| which prohibit export of dead game fire.
| quently allow shipment of live birds in
tended solely for propagation In some
| cases under permit from state authori-
| ties. Persons contemplating shipment Of
| live birds should inform themselves fully
as to all local regulations. No permits
TOT Shipment OF game from one state to
another are issued by this department
81 Come for Private Use-Some states
especially those which issue nonresident
hunting licenses, permit sportsmen 10
| carry limited amount of game out of
| the state for private use. In some cases
| this gone must be tagged, carried openly
| and accompanied by the owner To in
/ sure safe transit of game, careful atten-
ton should be paid to such local regula-
| tions.
go Insectivorous Birds-Robins swal-
| lows, cedar birds, meadow larks. iclers
| night hawks or bull bats and few other
| insectivorous species, as well as such
| birds as longspurs. snow buntings and
shore larks, which are useful in DESTROY
| ing seeds of weeds. are occasionally kill
| ed as game. They are however, general
| ly protected, and under no circumstances
out of the state.
| Qo) Birds for Millinery Purposes.-Sta
tutes even more stringent than those
protecting game birds have recently
been enacted by many states for the nre-
servation of birds which are not included
| In the game list. Under these statutes
birds which are in demand for millinery
| purposes are protected throughout the
| year, and sale and possession, as well as
| killing, are prohibited 1t should he re-
membered that the principal centers for
millinery supplies nearly all located
| in states which have such laws, and the
| purchase of native song BIRDS as well as
| of herons, pelicans gulls, terms or sea
swallows. grebes, or other plume birds,
| should be avoided The shipment of these
| birds or any part of their plumage is pro-
| hibited by the provisions of the federal
| law. Ostrich feathers are not subject to
| these restrictions and their use should
| be encouraged JAMES WILSON