Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1891 — Law for the Protection of Birds. [ARTICLE]

Law for the Protection of Birds.

Our Union Tp. correspondent last week casually lemarked that “the boys” in his township were undecided as to whether it would be lawful to shoot black birds, “the law being somewhat misty on that point.” The substance of the new bird-protection law was given in these columns some weeks ago,Tn company with" the principal features of all the new laws. As this law is one that ought to be made thoroughly tamiliar to everyone we repeat its substance here: The act makes it unlawful for any person to kill any wild bird other than a game bird, or purchase, offer for sale any such wild bird after it has been killed, or to destroy' the nests or the eggs of any wild bird. The following are considered game birds: Swan, geese, brant, river and sea ducks, also rails, coots, mud-hens and gailinules; those commonly known as shore birds, plovers, surf birds, snipe, woodcock, sand-pipers, tattlers and curlews; also wild turkeys, grouse, prairie chickens, quail and pheasants, A fine of not less than $lO nor more than SSO is the penalty for violation of the law. No exception is made in favor of those ivho hunt birds or » their nests for the purpose of preserving as curiosities, or “to take to school” to exhibit, as was done quite extensively by the boys of the Rensselaer school this spring, under the direction of their teacher, as they claimed. Permits to collect birds, their nests &c., for strictly scientific purposes, may be obtained of the Executive Board of the Indiana Academy of Sciences, under certain conditions, but in no other way can it be lawful to do the acts mentioned. The only wild birds excepted from the provisions of the law, besides the game birds, are English Sparrows, crows, hawks and other birds of prey. The black-bird is protected, it being neither game nor a bird of prey.