The good that would be accomplished, annually, by the enactment of a law for the federal protection of all migratory birds is beyond computation; but it is my belief that within a very few years the increase in bird life would prevent what is now an annual loss of $250,000,000.  It is beyond the power of man to protect his crops and fruit and trees as the bird millions would protect them—­if they were here as they were in 1870.  The migratory bird bill is of vast importance because it would throw the strong arm of federal protection around 610 species of birds.  The power of Uncle Sam is respected and feared in many places where the power of the state is ignored.

The list of migratory birds includes most of the perching birds; all the shore birds (great destroyers of bad insects); all the swifts and swallows; the goat-suckers (whippoorwill and nighthawk); some of the woodpeckers; most of the rails; pigeons and doves; many of the hawks; some of the cranes and herons and all the geese, ducks and swans.

A movement for the federal protection of migratory game birds was proposed to Congress by George Shiras, 3rd, who as a member of the House in the 58th Congress introduced a bill to secure that end.  An excellent brief on that subject by Mr. Shiras appeared in the printed hearing on the McLean bill, held on March 6, 1912, page 18.  Omitting the bills introduced in the 59th, 60th and 61st sessions, mention need be made only of the measures under consideration in the present Congress.  One of these is a bill introduced by Representative J.W.  Weeks, of Massachusetts, and another is the bill of Representative D.R.  Anthony, Jr., of Kansas, of the same purport.

Finally, on April 24, 1912, an adequate and entirely reasonable bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator George P. McLean, of Connecticut, as No. 6497 (Calendar No. 606).  This bill provides federal protection for all migratory birds, and embraces all save a very few of the species that are specially destructive to noxious insects.  The bill provides national protection to the farmer’s and fruit-grower’s best friends.  It is entitled to the enthusiastic support of 90,000,000 of people, native and alien.  Every producer of farm products and every consumer of them owes it to himself to write at once to his member of Congress and ask him (1) to urge the speedy consideration of the bill for the federal protection of all migratory birds, (2) to vote for it, and (3) to work for it until it is passed.  It matters not which one of the three bills described finally becomes a law.  Will the American people act rationally about this matter, and protect their own interests?

SUPPRESS THE SALE OF ALL NATIVE WILD GAME.—­The deadly effect of the commercial slaughter of game and its sale for food is now becoming well understood by the American people.  One by one the various state legislatures have been putting up the bars against the exportation or sale of any “game protected by the state.”  The U.S.  Department of Agriculture says, through Henry Oldys, that “free marketing of wild game leads swiftly to extermination;” and it is literally true.