Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1908-09-25
A SENSIBLE APPEAL FOR THE WISE
PRESERVATION OF THE BIRDS.

time one of the most important and
least understood of the questions
now confronting us, the Mississippi
Audubon Society feels compelled,
in justice to the people of the state,
before asking their further cooper
alton in the important work it has
undertaken, to state concisely and
completely what it proposes to do,
what's its platform, and how it ex-
poets the people to assist in its
plans.
1t is appropriate to state, in the
first place, that the Mississippi Au-
dubon Society is an educational
body. While it will strive in every
legitimate way to improve the laws
for better protection of every use
full species of bird, endeavor to
build up a better and stronger
sentiment in favor of existing laws,
urge their enforcement, and coop
crate with officers of the law where
violations are persistent, its prlma-
ry object will be to demonstrate the
necessity for more complete pres
ervation of bird-life and to secure
compliance with the law by ration
al rather than punitive methods.
The work of the Audubon Socie-
ty is based on that wonderful rela-
tion in physical life known as the
balance of nature. In a print
tive state the various forms of life,
man included, maintain an average
degree of abundance and distribu-
ton from season to season. Blu
as civilization progresses, man S
use or removal of certain species
results in an unbalancing of the
system of checks by which nature
prevents too rapid an increase of
one specie at the expense of anoth-
er.
The most notable of such changes
in this and other countries has been
the increase of inject life following
the destruction of great areas Ot
forest, and conse .lutnt deere ase o1
bird-life that formerly preyed or
the insects. Not only has the
partial disappearance of bird-life
brought about the abnormal in.
crease of insects, but the new
conditions developed by the prac
tice of modern agriculture are ver
favorable to insects, and rem Ter The
birds more necessary than they have
ever been before
Probably no ono factor has
greatly deferred the progress ol
. the Audubon movement as the NJ
ion that its promoters are ACQUITTED
by motives largely or wholly sent.
mental. 1t goes without sayinl
that the member of the Au1ubol
Society are opposed to any kil | :,
needless destruction or to any ia
territorial cruelty in dealing will
birds and denounce all 50 callet
sport of which the sole object is t
destroy. Yet it takes this groun.
not merely for humane reasons, bu
even more largely for economic rea
. sons. The economic test is tht
first one to be applied to an!
bird Is it useful? If 50, lei
it be protected in every reasonaLl
way. If on the other hand, it i
destructive, and generally 50. tn,
right to be protected from it
depreciation should not be inter
fered with. Should its characte
prove neutral, without direc
effect on economic conditions, the
ordinary dictates of humanity will
prevent its being molested, ant
such sentiment will in every cas-,
have the unqualified endorsement
of the Audubon Society
Aside from the misunderstood
. ing that has arisen in regard t.
its work there's another obstacle
that prevents the accomplishment
of more good by our society. Thi
, is the innate desire to kill tina
seems to dwell in many breasts
especially of our boys. b
We recognize that real sport ha
an irresistible appeal for mos
manly natures, but we cannot un
derstand the motive that prompt
hunting where the only result j
the extinction of life. In orde
to indulge this desire and yet t,
prevent its being recognized as the
true incentive for slaughter, bird
are often charged with crime
against the farmer of which the.
are undoubtedly innocent
, 1t is wanton killing of this Kin(
that the Audubon Society strive
especially to suppress. 1t would
educate the people to the belle.
that there is nothing either pleas
ant or profitable in the killing O.
a bird merely because it is /;
bird, but that the reasons for sac
, rifcing any of these creature
, should be found in some extran
e JUS circumstance that makes sucl
action necessary. The killing O.
game birds, for instance, is NO
Objectionable, because it is accom-.
panied by some definite benefit
providing legitimate recreation
supplying food of the best quail
: ity, bringing out much that il
wholesome in men, and keeping
them in touch with the natura
world. The killing of destruc
tive birds, sucn as the English
sparrow in the country and few
of the natives species is sometimes
an absolute necessity. But the
Audubon Society insists that thu
desire to kill for the sake of kill
ling too frequently controls The
conduct of our people towards The
birds, and that instead of look