are hoping that they will be saved and
sometime become numerous again. All our states have made game laws which
give more or less protection to the deer, elk, moose, antelope,
squirrel, and other animals. In the case of some of these animals the
females are absolutely protected, and the number of the males--as of the
deer, for example--that may be killed in a season is often as small as
two, and in two states it is only one. A heavy fine is imposed upon any
one killing the protected animals or having their meat in his
possession.

We are trying to protect the birds in much the same manner as the wild
animals. But because of their migrations this is much more difficult.
Many kinds of birds travel with the changing seasons from north to
south across different countries. If the people of one country protect
them and those of another do not, they may easily become exterminated.
Some species have become extinct in the last fifty years, and others
have been reduced to a few pairs in regions where they were once seen in
thousands.

There are three things that have brought about this slaughter of the
birds. The first is hunting them for food. This was not so serious until
the market hunters began their work. Then the small game birds that were
salable quickly began to disappear. In most of our states the sale of
game birds in the market is now prohibited.

Another cause for the decrease in the birds is the wanton shooting of
some just for sport, and the hunting of others that are mistakenly
supposed to be harmful. We cannot wholly stop this until we teach people
to respect the birds, to love them for their music, and to appreciate
the great good which many of them do by their destruction of insects and
small animal pests.

Many of the birds which we have too often tried to kill or drive away
are among the best friends we have. When we have learned all about their
habits and their food, we shall find that only a very few are really
harmful, and that the others abundantly repay the toll that they take of
our produce. The farmer and the fruit grower should be particularly
interested in protecting and encouraging the birds. If the birds pull up
the sprouting seeds in your garden, do not kill them but protect the
plants with wire screens. It is likely that these very birds feed
largely upon the insects that are so harmful to your crops.

If the children in our schools could spend a little of their time in
the interesting study