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LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAPTER 77.

AN ACT to protect, and to prevent the destruction
of small birds known as insectivorous birds in St.
Mary's and Queen Anne's counties.

Protecting
birds.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That it shall be unlawful hereafter for any
person, at any time to shoot, trap or otherwise kill
or injure or pursue with such intent, any of the fol-
lowing named birds, within the limits of St. Mary's
and Queen Anne's counties, viz: mocking-bird, blue-
bird, robin, oriole, thrush, swallow, martin, lark, red-
bird, cat-bird, wren, sparrow, whip-poor-will, pewit,
goldfinch, sapsucker, hanging-bird, jay-bird or wood-
pecker; provided, that nothing in this act shall be
so construed as to prevent the killing of crows,
hawks or black-birds, or birds of prey; and provi-
ded, that robins may be shot from and after the first
day of October until the first day of March in each
year.

Not to destroy
eggs or nests.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That it shall be unlaw-
ful -for any person knowingly and unnecessarily to
destroy or disturb the eggs or nests of any of the
birds protected by this act.

Possession
prima facie
evidence.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That the possession by
any person within the counties of any of the birds
mentioned in this act as shot, killed, or in any wise
destroyed, or of any eggs of such birds, shall be pri-
ma facie evidence to commit under this act.

Penalty.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That any person offend-
ing against the provisions of this act, upon convic-
tion thereof before any justice of the peace of said
counties, shall forfeit and pay to the said justice of
the peace, the sum of two dollars for every bird so
killed or destroyed, and for every nest so disturbed,

Pine, to whom
paid.

robbed or broken up, together with costs of prosecu-
tion, and one half of said forfeit or fine shall be paid
to the informer and the other half to the Treasurer
of the county school commissioners for the use of the
public schools of the counties, and if any offender,
after conviction under this act, shall refuse to pay