The war on the bird-killers in New York City began in 1900.  It seemed that if the Zoological Society did not take up the matter, the slaughter would continue indefinitely.  The white man’s burden was taken up; and the story of the war is rather illuminating.  Mr. G.O.  Shields, President of the League of American Sportsmen, quickly became interested in the matter, and entered actively into the campaign.  For months unnumbered, he spent every Sunday patroling the woods and thickets of northern New York and Westchester county, usually accompanied by John J. Rose and Rudolph Bell of the Zoological Park force, for whom appointments as deputy game wardens had been secured from the State.

The adventures of that redoubtable trio of man-hunters would make an interesting chapter.  They were shot at by poachers, but more frequently they shot at the other fellows.  Just why it was that no one was killed, no one seems to know.  Many Italians and several Americans were arrested while hunting, haled to court, prosecuted and fined.  Finally, a reign of terror set in; and that was the beginning of the end.  It became known that those three men could not be stopped by threats, and that they always got their man—­unless he got into a human rabbit-warren of the Italian boarding-house species.  That was the only escape that was possible.

The largest haul of dead birds was 43 robins, orioles, thrushes and woodpeckers, captured along with the five Italians who committed the indiscretion of sitting down in the woods to divide their dead birds.  We saved all the birds in alcohol, and showed them in court.  The judge fined two of the Italians $50 each, and the other three were sent to the penitentiary for two months each.

Even yet, however, at long intervals an occasional son of sunny Italy tries his luck at Sunday bird shooting; but if anyone yells at him to “Halt!” he throws away his gun and stampedes through the brush like a frightened deer.  The birds of upper New York are now fairly secure; but it has taken ten years of fighting to bring it about.

Throughout New York State, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and even Minnesota, wherever there are large settlements of Italians and Hungarians, the reports are the same.  They swarm through the country every Sunday, and shoot every wild thing they see.  Wherever there are large construction works,—­railroads, canals or aqueducts,—­look for bird slaughter, and you are sure to find it.  The exception to this rule, so far as I know, is along the line of the new Catskill aqueduct, coming to New York City.  The contractors have elected not to permit bird slaughter, and the rule has been made that any man who goes out hunting will instantly be discharged.  That is the best rule that ever was made for the protection of birds and game against gang-working aliens.

Let every state and province in America look out sharply for the bird-killing foreigner; for sooner or later, he will surely attack your wild life.  The Italians are spreading, spreading, spreading.  If you are without them to-day, to-morrow they will be around you.  Meet them at the threshold with drastic laws, throughly enforced; for no half way measures will answer.