Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-27
Protecting Migratory Birds.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

lions governing the SnOOtlns u I'LL
gratory birds. These will be approved
by the President and go into effect about
October /. at the beginning of the an
nual hunting season. The law author1z-
ing these regulations was passed by the
last Congress. 1t was included in the
appropriation bill for the Department of
Agriculture, one of the last measures
signed by President Taft upon the morn
ing of March 4. In some states this new
law will not materially affect the hunting
privileges because it will not make any
greater restrictions than are imposed by
the state laws already in existence. In
others the change will be more keenly
felt. The five-year closed season for
certain game birds. the prohibition Of
| shooting between sunset and sunrise, and
the long closed season for birds along
certain navigable rivers are the most
important features of the new regu-
lations.
The new law authorized the Depart
ment of Agriculture to formulate regu-
lat1ons covering the points needed for the
federal protection of migratory birds.
These regulations were to fix and pre-
scribe the closed seasons with due re-
gard to temperature breeding habits and
the times and lines of migration of the
different classes of birds. A committee
of experts upon the subjects involved was
appointed to prepare these regulations
with the provision that they should be
printed and made public for three months
before their adoption. During this period
they were to be examined and public
hearings given upon then. when desired
i.
The knowledge possessed by the COM
mittee upon the habits of birds enabled
them to fix suit
Habits Of Birds able districts. in
Mainly Considered. o al sna Part, parts
in which 1t shall be unlawful to shoot,
kill or capture migratory birds, and at
the same time to give the hunter all
the sport possible without threatening the
total extinction of the birds. 1t is under
stood that where the states have suitable
laws for the protection of the migratory
birds nothing in the new regulations shall
be permitted to conflict with them. The
regulations were published In June. Public
hearings upon them have been held in
New York, New Orleans, Omaha, Boston
ana several other cities representing the
approval with which these regulations
nave been received as a whole has been
most gratifying to the committee: II
demonstrates thoroughly that public senti-
hoS OSSOiHc aroused TO the need
OF protection to native birds The opposi-
ton encountered, 1t Is believed. will be
entirely overcome after the new law Is
properly in operation.
me provision that the new law should
not interfere with the bird laws aIready
existing In the states required much
work from the committee formulating the
regulations. Over 100 laws regarding
Dird shooting are In existence in the forty
eight states In order to harmonic them
Number h01y
ed with the regulations which, 1t is be-
heved, VIII make the new law a harmoni-
GUS scheme for conserving the bird life
uniformly throughout the country.
The country is divided into two zones.
Zone / Is be known as the breeding
zone. 1t includes
Country Divided twenty-five states
Into Two Zones. of ,,s eh, e. north
Zone 1 Is to be known as the breeding
son for this zone shall be from December
16 to September 1 for water fowls and
rails, with exceptions in nine states,
where the dates vary slightly. For wood
Geek the closed season extends to Octo-
Der 1, with exceptions in ten states. The
closed season for shore birds, executing
those coming under the regulation of
the f1ve-year closed season, extends
from December 10 to September /, with
slight modification of these dates in ten
states.
Zone 2 is to be known as the wintering
zone. 1t includes all the states south Of
the breeding zone. In this The closed
season for water fowl extends from jan
uary 10 to October 1. excepting In Mary
land, Virginia and the Carolinas, where
1t Is from February to November, and In
Kansas. Oklahoma, New Mexico and
Arizona. where 1t comes between De-
cembeT 10 and September 1. The closed
season fer rails. and also for ceots and
gallinules, comes between December 1
and September II. with slight differences
In Tennessee, Louisiana and Arizona. For
weedeock the closed season extends from
January to November /. excepting in
Louisiana and Georgia. The closed sea-
son for shore birds. including only black
breasted and golden plover, jacksnipe or
Wilson snipe and yellow legs. the rest
coming under the fve-year regulation is
from December 10 to September /, with
the exceptions In Alabama, Louisiana.
Tennessee, AriEena and Utah.
The new law prohibits the shooting of