The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-09

capital of the ducks and geese. There Ian
summer thousands OF birds were bred.
including the mallard. gadwan, shoveller;
pintalL, lesser sCaup, scooter, Canada goosa.
California and ring billed gulls and double
crested cormorants. IL was a great season,
and TIE inhabitants, being in full sympathy
with the association, do not shoot either
the wardens or the birds
At the Arched Rocks. OF the coast ~
Oregon, near Netarts. the warden reported
the number OF gulls, cormorants and nurres
40 great that they could not he counted.
But protection came TO the lakes CT south
Oregon just in time.
For years these lakes have been the seat
OF market hunting, over 100 tons o. ducks
going at one time from one place. Lasu
winter, for the first time, the traffic was
completely broken up.
The beautiful grebe, formerly found there
by thousands. has been almost extermi-'
mated for millinery purposes, but that kind
of cunning has been stopped through an
agreement made by the wholesale Millinery
Association to sell no more grebe skins.
The band tailed pigeon is fast passing
away. like the passenger pigeon which
once thronged the Eastern States. II has no
protection by law, and in the breeding
season hunters hide at its watering
| places and kill 100 in a little while, leaving
nests full OF young birds to perish.
n past wear has seen an increase in an
kinds OF wild life in Missouri. In North
| Carolina, from the same cause. 10000 young
rulls. terms and swimmers were raised last
| summer against 1 700 four years ago, The
launch butcher Piled up and down the
| North Carolina coast protecting these
birds.
one of the latest troubles Of the associa-
ton is caused by the gangs Of Italian work.
| men in construction camps IN the country
during the summer They shoot any and
every bird continuously for food. The ono.
excuse for them Is that in Italy everybody,
from lord to peasant, shoots songbird'
and eats them.
the past summer by Italians whom the1
were irving to arrest for shooting birds
Illegally, two in Pennsylvania and one in
Wisconsin. In Rocklard county, New
York. an Italian deliberately shot at an
! officer and then tried to knife him.
The Italians cannot read the notices
have seen everybody do all their lives, and
think they are being persecuted when
arrested. Their humane education is some
thing OF a problem,
The association has made a list of birds
which il believes should have a close season
OF ten years or 80 if the species are 20 bs
preserved from determination. Among
these is the most beautiful q all the North
American ducks, the wood duck. whose
splendid plumage has been its 7lin.
The EsQuimau curlew is on tie verge OF
extinction. The upland plover, whose ex-
ouisitely melodious whistle was once heard
in every grassy field and which consumed
bushels Of grasshoppers is now almost
extinct. Others which are rtpidly dis
appearing are certain small nore birds
known as peeps, plovers, surf birds, snipe,
woodcock, tallers and curlews.
Finally, the association wantt all spring
shooting stopped and will back MIR. Shirns
should he, as he plans. reintrodJre in Con-
gress his bill for a Federal anti-sping shoot
ing law. Twenty-eight game wadens were
consulted as to this during the lasS year,
and twenty-three were emphaically in
favor Of such a law.