Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-21

New York was known to receive twenty
tons of prairie chickens in a single con-
signment. In spite of the fact that this
bird is one of the most prolific of our game
species, 1t has vastly suffered from such
wholesale slaughter Audubon states that
when he moved to Neutrality-suspicious. 1905
prairie hens were very abundant and were
seen frequently in farmyards with poultry
even in the village streets. So little were
they esteemed as game that hunters hardly
deigned to shoot them, and they could
hardly be sold for more than a cent apiece.
He found that twenty-five years later they
had practically abandoned Kentucky. To-
day they are no longer abundant in the
prairie region east of the Mississippi. 1t
has been feared that these birds would
suffer the fate of the passenger pigeon.
which was slaughtered by the million and
sold for only cent apiece, 1,0J0.00o0oO
having been shot in Michigan alone in
1878.
Crusade for the Woodcock
The woodcock, most esteemed of all our
game birds. is also being fought for by the
biological survey. Its range covers the en-
tire eastern half of the United States, the
winter being spent in the south and the
summer as far north as Canada. IN many
localities of the north where twenty-five
years ago a fair shot with a good dog could
secure forty or fifty birds in a days hunt,
it is doubtful if four or five could now be
obtained, according to the biological sur
vey estimate. Reports as to the scarcity
of the woodcock are coming in from numer-
Gus points III the country, and in even the
most favored localities the decrease in the
past twenty years is estimated to be 90 to
60 per cent. Spring and summer shooting
of these birds, which is only comparable
to killing nursing does or taking trout
from the spawning beds, is still allowed in
L. s
ing seasons. Four eggs, or as many he pless
young, are apt to perish with each pair of
birds shot during the spring.
The biological survey is advising the
southern states where the bird winters, to
allow only short open season of six weeks
or less place a limit on the sportsman
bag and prohibit all shipments of the spe-
cies. For all of the states covered by the
season of several years Such action would
have the cooperation of the province of
Ontario
Slaughtered for Aigrettes.
The egret is another bird which has suf-
fered terrible slaughter and whose case the
biological survey is inquiring into. These
herons are slaughtered for the beautiful
plumes which they display IN the breeding
season These, which women know as
"aigrettes," are found at their best when
the birds are on the breeding grounds soon
after the eggs are laid or the young
Matched. AS the egrets nest In colonies it
is easy matter for the plume hunter to
Kill large quantities. Their wholesale
slaughter commenced in the eighties, and
one in Florida employed from forty
to sixty gunners in the business of exter-
mination Another plume hunter boosted
of having aided companion in killing
10000 egrets, other herons and terms dur
ing one winter
The Lacey law prohibits interstate COM
meTce In game birds shipped in violation of
local laws, requires that packages of game
shipped from one state into another be
marked with the names of the species con-
tanned and gives the interstate commerce
commission jurisdiction over interstate
transportation of game. Before its passage
practically all states had in self-defense
restricted shipments of game beyond their
borders, but the expectation continued, as
it very difficult to detect shipments
before they got beyond the boundaries of
the state whence shipped Quail, grouse
ducks and prairie chickens were ilicitly
received by the barrel in Chicago and st.
Louis, the largest game markets of the
west.
War on Illicit Shippers.
The federal law made possible the en-
forcement of the state laws and shippers
began to conceal birds In trunks, barrels,
egg cases and boxes marked butter
dressed poultry and household goods"
The government inspectors have been elimi-
mating these frauds by ordering arrests of
the violators, SO that today, encouraged by
the federal laws, all of the states, except
NIisMssippi prohibit export of all or certain
kinds of game.
In Chicago alone thousands of birds IL
legally shipped have been seized by the
federal authorities. Prairie chickens, quail,
grouse and ducks have almost entirely dis
appeared from the great national game
markets of Chicago, although they were
formerly shipped by thousands in defiance
of state laws from Illinois, Missouri, Ar
kansas Texas and other states, Cotton
tails and jack rabbits are almost the only
kinds of game now received there in large
quantities Indeed, the wholesale trade in
game is thing of the past, and game birds
are no longer freely offered for sale through
out the year in hotels and restaurants. The
government authorities are now rigidly in
specting express matter suspected of con-
ceaiing game
The entire District of Columbia becomes
a game preserve through an act Of the
last session of Congress, just adjourned,
sforbidding shooting of any game within its
boundaries Already the authorities are
stocking Rock Creek Park with valuable
game birds, which, 90 long as they remain
within the District line. win be safe from
gunners.
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS.