Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-03-13
A Justly lnditnaat wemaa.
SOUTH PABIs, Feb. s., 1917.

!; Editor Democrot:
Something happened here ct my HON!
lot Pine Corner this forenoon that ] wisl
lyou to know about, hoping that you vii
mention IL In your paper, and thereby
Iperhaps, bring me . little sympath!
from other old ladies OF this town Wit
are ''shut ins'' In winter like myself.
am very fond Of birds, and for severa
winters past have fed them by keeping
. basket holding meat scraps hanging OF
my clothes line under the piazza roof
close to the pine trees. A flock Of 6vs
chIckadees have grown % tame ~
chickens, and will alight In the bake,
and feed when my hand 10 on It and my
face close to them. and there have been
four blue jays here oil winter that would
feed from the basket when Was only q
few feet away.
The trust and friendship Of these birds
has been delight to mo oil winter, bui
today that IL ended, and my old heart
aches ct seeing the lawlessness and the
unfeeling behavior of the rising genera.
ton. Four boys came along this morn.
ing, three with guns and one with Z
smaller weapon, and passed down the
Hebron road. Two of them came back
later and stopped close to the house Ia
the pines. I heard shot, then, little
later, another, and was told that one Of
my blue jays was shot and carried away
The other boys soon came along but did
no shooting here, but I presume they
were all out to make war on the birds.
/ know the names OF all the boys, but
will not mention them here, ~ 1t might
be q shame to mothers and grand
mothers. Isn't It against the law to
shoot birds that are such help to farm
ers? Could you print the bird law % It
reads, and oblige friend.
ALICE ELIZABETH MAXIM.
Below 10 the section Of the law asked
for. There 10 no doubt that any ono who
shoots pet blue jay has not only done
IN injury to the one who feeds the bird,
but has also broken the law and 10 liable
to the penalty.]
Section 40. No person shall within
the state, kill or catch or have In bis or
her possession, living or dead, any wild
bird, other than game bird, nor pur-
chase, offer or expose for sale, any such
wild bird after IL has been killed or
caught. No part of the plumsge, skin
or body OF any bird protected by this
section shall be sold or had In possession
for sale. Nor shall any person take or
needlessly destroy the nest or the eggs
of any wild bird, nor have such nest or
eggs In possession. The English or Euro
pean house sparrow, the common crow,
and the hawks and owls, mud hens Tor
bitterly, king fishers, looms and blue
herons are not included among the birds
herein protected; and for the purposes
Of this act the following only shall be
considered game birds; the anatidae,
commonly known as swans, geese, brant,
and river and sea ducks; the rsllidae,
commonly known as rails, coots, and
gallinules; the limicolae, commonly
known as shore birds, plovers, surf birds.
snipe, woodcock, ssndpipers, tatlers and
curlews; the gallinae, commonly known
as wild turkeys, grouse, prairie chickens,
pheasants, cartridges and quails. Moth
ing In this section, however, shall be CON.
struod to affect In any way the protec-
ton of game birds, as provided In Sec
tions AZ and 43. Any person who vio-
lates any of the provisions. of this section
shall pay fine Of FIVE dollars and costs,
for each offense, and an additional FIVE
dollars for each bird, living or dead, or
part of q bird, or nest, or egg possessed
in violation Of this section, or Imprisoned
for ten days.