SHIPMENT OF GAME. This also is an important subject of game legislation, for one of the great est factors in the rapid destruction of game in recent years has undoubtedly been the illegal shipment of game from one State to another. It has also been an exceedingly difficult problem to cope with, largely because interstate commerce is outside the jurisdiction of the several States. There was passed by Congress on May 25, 1900, an act, popularly termed the Lacey Act, which gave to the Secretary of Agriculture all duties and responsibilities connected with the preserva tion of game, and at the same time prohibited interstate commerce in game killed in violation of local laws. The Lacey Act is based, to a modified degree, on State laws, so that its proper enforcement requires a knowledge of certain local provisions which are subject to periodical change. Section 4 of this act ordains that every package containing game animals or birds, when shipped by interstate commerce, must be clearly marked, so as to show the name and address of the ship per, as well as the nature of the contents. In addition to this the laws of Colorado, Connecti cut, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Wiscon sin, New Brunswick, and Ontario require pack ages of fish or game to bear a statement clearly indicating the nature of the contents, which must cover the kind of game and the atnount in the package. The majority of the States pro hibiting exports place no restrictions on ship ments within the State; six States, however, absolutely prohibit all shipment, as Tennessee, quail; Texas, domestic game; Minnesota, most game birds; Kansas, all protected game; Nevada, big game; and New Hampshire, moose, caribou, and elk; other States impose various limitations ranging anywhere between the two extremes. An important event in the development of modern State laws was the establishing by the Supreme Court of the constitutionality of the Connecticut statute prohibiting export of certain game. ((leer
vs. Connecticut, 161 U. S. 519.) As a result, non export laws have been generally adopted through out all the States, nearly every State prohibiting the export of certain kinds of game. Kentucky, Mississippi, and Virginia are the only exceptions.
In some States the sportsman may carry a lim ited amount of game out of the State, but only under special restrictions. Deer may not be law fully exported from Alabama, Florida, or any of the States or Territories west of the Missis sippi, except Montana, Kansas, and Iowa; any of the States north of the Ohio and Potomac rivers, except Illinois, Ohio, Delaware, New Jer sey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachu setts; while in Montana they cannot be sold, and in Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts they are protected in definitely at all seasons, or else for a definite term of years. The most general prohibition among game birds is that against the export of quail, which, with six exceptions, is in force in every State and Territory of the Union.
Across the border, Canada has a general law, covering and prohibiting the export of wild turkeys, partridge, prairie-fowl, quail, woodcock. and deer, except in the case of deer raised on private reserves; and an exception which provides that non-resident sportsmen may export two deer each in a calendar year at certain ports of ex port within fifteen days after the close of the open season. Such ports are Halifax and Yar mouth, in Nova Scotia; MacAdam Junction, New Brunswick; Quebec, Montreal, and Ottawa, in Quebec; Kingston, Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Windsor, Sault Ste. Marie, and Port Arthur in Ontario; and such other ports as the Minister of Customs may, from time to time, designate.