Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-15
REFUTES NAVY CR|T|CS|C0NT|NUE TO SERVE
Rear Admiral Evans Defends Fish and Game Association
Ship Construction. Reflects Officers.
SOME ERRORS ADMITTED MEET IN ANNUAL SESSION
These He Ascribes Bunders of Discuss Protection
Line omcers mails in District
BETTER THAN DREADNOUGAI MEMBERS SUBMIT REPORTS
superior to Engands Best Squirrels. Ducks and
ba'ueshps
Fish and Game Association
Reflects Officers.
MEET IN ANNUAL SESSION
Discuss Protection of Birds and AMI.
mails in District.
[EMBERS SUBMIT REPORTS
Tell of the Stocking of Local Parks
With Squirrels. Ducks and
Partridges

The Washington Fish and Game Pro-
tective Association held it's annual meet
ing last evening in the offices Of its presi-
dent Or. w $. Harlan. 1899 X street.
Various matters affecting fish and game
protection. not only in the District. but
in the country at large. were discussed.
Reports were submitted by several COM
mittees ard the annual election OF Of
fcers held.
DR.. Harlan explained that the present.
year is the eleventh Of the existence OF
the association. He reviewed in a general
way the practical things accomplished in
protecting and propagating game and
fish. and referred 10 the District game
laws OF 1878. 1899 and 1905. which have.
mainly through the efforts Of the asso-
citation. at last made the District of Coz
lumbia refuge for game.
The speaker mentioned the campaign
for Potomac river cleanliness and purity.
not to endanger fish life, and the
passage OF uniform laws relative to the
Potomac river in Maryland. Virginia.
West Virginia and the District. A review
of the survey and mapping of the Po-
tomac basin as spawning ground was
also gone into in detail.
At the conclusion OF the presidents
report Maj. Richard Sylvester, the war
den OF the association. spoke He said
that during the past year seven arrests
and convictions had been obtained for the
violations of the hunting laws and twenty
six convictions for illegal fishing: In the
fishing violations the speaker said large
number of the arrests were the result OF
the use of seines for bait catching. during
which the offenders incidentally appro-
priated a few food fish, including bass.
Efforts are being made to reduce the
size OF such seines.
Only Rabbits Being Shot.
No game. it was point out. is being
shot in the District. except rabbits. where
such animals ara found to cause dam
age by gnawing young fruit trees. and
then the shooting is only permitted on
the property whore the damage is done.
No restriction is placed upon the killing
of hawk; crows and owls OF the larger
variety.
DR.. Cecil French. who has had charge
of game propagation and stocking for
the association. reported that game In
the parks is still in the experimental
stage. but excellent results had been OBJ
tanned. He stated that the stocking OF
various sections of the District with gray
squirrels had been very successful. and
recommended that an effort be made 10
catch number of the Canadian black
squirrel, which he found were rather
numerous in the more wooded sections.
that the city parks could be stocked
with those animals also. DIR. French said
the Canadian variety would readily mate
with the gray squirrel. and the two kinds
lived amicably in the same strip of woods
In reference to quail IL WAS said there
are a number OF coveys of these birds in
various parts of the District, resulting
from the fifty pairs liberated two years
ago Two fiocks of wild turkeys have
also been located in Rock Creek Park
from a number of birds also liberated
two years ago.
The prOpagating Of mallards and few
other varieties of wild ducks in various
sections of Rock Creek Park was said
to have proven successful and a number
of the birds have been noticed in the
vicinity of Pierce mill. One flock of
mallards is so tame. DR.. French said.
that they respond to whistle for feeding.
Canadian wild geese have so far given
no results In increasing. although the
flock is said to be in healthy and happy
condition. 1t numbers fifteen birds.
DR. French pronounced as failures the
experiments with wood ducks. wild swans
and pheasants. He urged that in the future
experiments he made with the European
game birds. especially the gray partridge.
DR.. Harlan reported that at a recent con-
Sylvester and himself on behalf of the
association. relative to the establishment
of additional fish-hatChing stations In the
interior OF the country. and the urging OF
legislation so as to have the Lacy game
act cover fish. the chief executive showed
keen interest In the aims of the asso-
citation. and as a result of the visit several
conferences with the United States fish
commission were held.
Restocking Depleted Streams.
The subject of restocking with game
fish the depleted fresh-water streams OF
the country was thoroughly gone into. and
also efforts to have the fish commission
advise and confer with various state OFF,
Gals as they have in the past looking to
gradual reduction and final elimination
of water pollution.
As a consequence of the visit 10 tho
chief executive and the conferences with
the fish commissioner DR.. Harlan said he
believed excellent legislative results will
follow
Henry c. Talbert and DR. r. 5. Palmer
also made addresses on the subject Of
fish propagation and water pollution and
the game laws of the District and Mary
land. DR.. Palmer told the association
that he had been informed by reliab
authority that an otter had been seen
in the Eastern branch last fall, the first
one for many years. He also said a
black railbird. very rare variety. had
been shot during the present hunting
season on the flats, the one this year
making the third i'm the past thirty-one
years. SO far as is known.
The choice of officers resulted in re-
election OF those who served the past
few years. They are DR.. w. s. Harlan.
president; Henry G. Talbert. vice presi-
dent: DR. w. p. Young. secretary and
treasurer. and Richard Sylvester. warden.
At the conclusion of the regular meeting
DIR. Cecil F'renchgav a short talk de
scriptive of his trip TO Abyssinia two
years ago.