Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-10-28
Mi|Iinefs Warned That Il
Will be Enforced.
Commissioner Carleton Sends
Them a Circular Letter.
Text Of a Remarkable Petition Drawn
Up BY Song Birds.

your attention to section oil chapter
32 Of the Revised Statutes, as amended
by chapter 49,, section T. of the Public
Laws of 1908, as follows:
NO person shall, within the state,
kill or catch or have in his or her pos
session living or dead. any wild bird
other than a game bird, nor purchase
offer or expose for sale, any such wild
bird after it has been killed or caught
No part OF the plumage, skin or body
of any bird protected by this section
shall be sold or had in possession for
sale. The English or European house
sparrow, the common crow. and the
hawks, and owls, muGhens, so called
kingIiShers, and blue herons, SO called
are not included among the birds here
III protected; and for the purpose Of
this act, the following only shall be
considered game birds the anatidae
commonly known as swans, geese
Drant. and river and sea ducks: the
rallidae, commonly known as rails
coots. and gallinules; the limicolae,
commonly known as shore birds, ploV-
crs, surf birds, snipe, Woodcock, sand
piperS, tatlers ana curlewS; the
sallinae. commonly known as wild
turkeys, grouse, prairie chickens,
pheaSants, cartridges and Guails.
Nothing in this section however, shall
be construed to affect i'll any way the
protection of game birds. as provided
III sections ! ana 9. Any person who
violates any Of the provisions of this
section shall be fined five dollars for
each offence. and an additional five
dollars for each bird. living or dead, or
part Of bird, or nest OF eggs possessed
in violation of this section or i'm
prisoned fer ten days"
You will observe that the law covers
the skin and feathers or parts thereof,
especially of inSectivorous birdS-gulls,
terms, etc. | would suggest that MILL
ners can best observe the spirit and
letter Of the law by removing from
sale all such feathers and returning
them 10 the wholesalers; and. further,
BY refusing to buy or sell such feath-
erS. aigrettas, etc.
1t is our intention to enforce the
Maine bird law. and all persons having
prohibited birds and feathers in
possession, whether as Wearers or
dealers, are liable to arrest. At
tention is called to the claim made
Dy CERTAIN uedleFS bndt lnelf goods,
especially aigrettes, are manufac-
tured, ana therefore not prohibited
by law. This makes no difference.
if prohibited feathers enter into
the manufactured article. The feath-
ers Of turkeys, ducks, geese, chick
ems. guinea fowl and other domes-
tic varieties, the feathers from such
wild birds as the crow. hawk, owl. Eng
lish sparroWs ana other unprotected
birds may be lawfully sold.
| shall be pleased to give an opinion
at any time as to whether any par
ticular feathers come within the scope
Of the law.
l.. 4. CARLETON, Chairman.
In connection with this circular let
ter Chairman Carleton calls attention
to one of the most remarkable doru-
mentS ever placed in a state house,
namely the petition prepared by United
State Senator George +. HOar, of
Massachusetts. which resulted in the
law prohibiting the wearing Of song
birds feathers for ornament. Tie
petition appears to be signed by g
song birds. and it was 50 gracefully
WOrdeJ that the members Of the Mas
sachusetts legislature passed the law
almost as soon as it was read Here
is the petition.
TO the Great ana General Court of the
Commonwealth Of Massachusetts:
I'VE. the song birds Of Massachu-
setts and their playfelloWs, make this.
our humble petition. We know more
about you that you think we do. We
know how good you are. We have
hopped about the roofs and looked in
at the windows of the house you
have built for poor, sick and hungry
people and little lame and deaf and
bind children. We have built our
nests in the trees and sung many
song as we flew about the gardens
and parks YOU have made 50 beautl-
ful for your Children especially your
poor children, to play in. Every year
We fly great way over the country
bright and warm. And we know that
whenever you do anything the people
all over this great land between the
seas and the graf lakes find it out
and pretty soon will try To do the
same. We know. We know. We are
Americans just the same as YOU are.
Some OF us, ike some 81 you. came
across the great sea. But most of
the birds like us have lived here a long
while, and the birds like us welcomed
your fathers when they came here
many, many years ago. our fathers
and mothers have always done their
best to please your fathers and moth
ers.
"Now. we have sad story to tell
YOU. Thoughtless or bad people are
irving to destroy US. They kill us
because our feathers are beautiful.
Even pretty and sweet girls, who, we
should think, would be our best
friends. kill our brothers and children.
81 that they may wear our plumage
on their hats. Sometimes people kill
us for mere wantonness. Cruel boys
DESTROY our nests. and steal our eggs
and our young ones. People with
guns and snares lie in wait to kill
us, as if the place for bird were not
in the sky. alive, but in the shop win
dow or in a glass case. If this goes
on much longer all our song birds VIII
be gone Already. we are told IN some
other countries that used to be full
of birds, they are now almost gone.
Even the nightingales are being Killed