Imperial Valley press., 1913-10-02

February to November, and in Kansas,
Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona,
where it comes between December Is
and September 1st The closed season
for rails, and also for coots and gal
linules, comes between December 1st
and September 18th, with slight diff
ferences in Tennessee, Louisiana and
Arizona. For woodcock, the closed
season extends from January 1st to
November 1st, excepting in Louis
lana and Georgia The closed season
for shore birds, including only black
breasted and golden plover, jack
snipe of Wilson snipe and yellow
legs, the rest coming under the five
years regulation, is from December
10th to September 1st, with the ex-
ception of Alabama, Louisiana, Ten
nessee, Arizona and Utah.
The new law prohibits the shooting
of all migratory game birds between
sunset and sunrise. This restriction
has been objected to in New England
and in some of the western states, but
the objection is not sustained because
this protection already exists in d
number of states, including New York,
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Arkan-
saS and Missouri. At least half Of
the hunters in the country have been
subjected to this restriction for years
by the laws of their states and most
of them endorse it as a proper mea s.
ure. Louisiana has even gone step
! farther. The shooting Of birds after
the noon hour is prohibited there, thus
giving them an additional advantage
| The closed season for insectiverous
birds now extends throughout the year
excepting for reed birds and rice birds
in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, the
District of Columbia and South Caro-
lima, in these states they may still be
shot between August 31st and Novem-
ber 1st. Many bird-lovers object even
to this small killing, for these insec-
iverious birds may almost be classed
as song birds. The reed birds are
really the northern bobolinks which
have been greatly decreased by the
greed of the hunters. 1t has been
claimed that the rice birds of the
south interfered with the crops but a
scientific examination proves that they
fed largely upon insects which dam
age the grain. The substitution of the
much-hated English sparrow for the
reed bird in many restaurants is now
admitted. Many claim that the diff
ference is not easily detected. At
present no consideration is being Civ
en- to sparrow conservation and, in
the minds of most people they can be
spared with less loss to the country
than the bobolink. The migratory
insectiverous birds covered by the
regulations include. bobolinks, cat
birds, chickadees, cockoos, grosbeakg,
humming birds, martins, meadow
larks, nighthawks, orioles, robins,
shrikes, swallows, whippoorwills,
woodpeckers, wrens, and all other
perching birds whoch feed entirely
upon insects.
A five year closed season has been
authorized, extending until September
Of 1918, covering band tailed pigeons,
swans, curlews and three varieties OF
cranes. The enormous decrease N
these birds threatens their total ex-
tinction, SO that a long closed season
is considered absolutely essential %
the continuation of the species. A
closed season shall extend also from
January lst to November LIST, for all
migratory birds passing over or ut
rest upon any Of the following navi-
gable rivers between certain deeig-
mated points. These are the Missis~
sippi river from New Orleans 70 Min