Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-12-29
CAPT., SPINNEY IS
FOR PROTECTION
OF maine BIRDS

! Bath, Me, Dec. 27.-"Unless some
thing is done by the State at once 10
scientifically propagate its game birds,
Maine sportsnen will suddenly learn
/ in Il few years that there will be TO
more birds left" says Capt. Herbert l..
/ Spinney OF this city, former president
of the Maine archaeological Society.
\ Capt Spinnev says: 'Partridges
with which the woods used to abound
are growing scarce. Twenty years ago
| a man could go out almost anywhere
and kill the full number allowed by law
| in a few hours. Toda- the man who
brings back two or three in a day is
considered lucky.
THE reason for this is that the
state pays no special attention to their
rearing, while the Indifference of the
public to assisting the wardens is re-
/ spousible for much Illegal shooting.
He recently spent & year AT the Fish
and Game Hatchery i'll Sutton, Mass.
and speaks very highly of the work OF
Massachusetts in preserving its game
birds.
| "Pheasants can be reared in Maine
just as we'll as i'm Massachusetts" says
he. They are just as hardy as the
Maine partridge and are much better
eating. There is good sport in cunning
! them and when q man returns with u
| few of these birds he never complains
2bount his luck.
There are many who fear that
| Names Winters would he too severe
| for them. hut they are mistaken. T.lci"
! instinct tells them not to get too "a"
I into the interior where they would be
! unable to iind bare ground. and conSe
Guently they would frequent our cons>
line or any spot where they might find
! marsh land. They subsist on insects
grain and other foods which are found
on the ground and seldom seek cover
even during the hardest Of storms"
| Massachusetts people are more in
sympothy with the game laws than the
/ Maine people Capt. Spinncy says: ut
seems rs if every person in Massachu
! sets interested in the preservation Of
| game birds. takes it upon himself to
assist the wardens in enforcing the
! laws. In Maine there is q spirit oi an
| tagOnisn 10 the warden. and while
there may he no concerted movement
to break the law. no real support is
given the warden in it's enforcement.
/ IF l had my way" he continued, Il
/ would require every resident hunter 10
pay 4 license fee Of at least one dol
lar to the State This is the Massa-
chusetts law with the result that
! thousands of dollars are received from
! this source and every dollar is turned
over to the fish and game commission
to he used in propaeatins the sport for
which the eportsmen have paid"
. Capt Spinney has seven pheasants
Of three varieties at his home, AZ Cor
iiss St. which he secured in Massa-
chusetts. for breeding purposes. He
hopes to interest the Fish and Game
Commission in raising them in the
Maine woods as was done in Massa-
chusetts.
! Give them five years to live and
carefully inforce the laws during close
time and I'll wager that sportsmen will
be enthusiastic over them as they were
| in Massac hUsetts;," he says. They will
divide attention with partridges and
other birds and with chance to in
; crease in a few years the gunners will
/ have no reason to complain of the
scarcity Of game BIRDS
\ For several years Capt. Spinney was
keeper OF the Seguin Light. For IL
years he kept a record Of bird flights
and is considered an authority upon
Maine bird life. He says that while
upon Seguin it was no uncommon thing
TO pick up 500 dead birds around the
base of the light on the morning after
storm.