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Show Pleads for Protection' of Rabbits as Food Supply By DORSEY BURGESS. , OUR state fish and game commissioner, commis-sioner, R. H. Siddoway, after giving giv-ing the matter careful consideration considera-tion and investigation, believes that jack rabbits and molly cottons cot-tons should be protected, as . are other game animals not from a sentimental standpoint alone or as a means of affording af-fording exhilarating exercise and sport, but as an economic measure and as a means of sustaining a good supply of choice food for ur people. The 'most objeetional thing about a jack rabbit to most people Is Its name. This is a misnomer, as it is not a rabbit at -all it is a hare. Rabbits burrow in the ground jack rabbits, or hares, do riot. ' Reasons for Protection. ' The following are a few reasons given by advocates of protection for the conservation con-servation of these animals and their protection pro-tection against being mercilessly and wantonly poisoned, through ignorance, perhaps, of realization of the value commercially, com-mercially, and as a. food supply, of these timorous creatures: The game is .given .us to use wisely, for the best and widest present use compatible com-patible with maintaining the supply on a business basis for the future, exactly as any business man- aims to handle his working capital. The state's game has developed a direct di-rect value as a tiling to be used wisely, like an investment; .its taking limited to the annual increase. Believing that true conservation means making use of every valuable food product, prod-uct, this is a time when everything edible should be given careful consideration. At any time, and mor particularly at the present time, when it is clearly our duty to conserve the nation's food supply, sup-ply, It is little short of a crime to allow the merciless extermination of these game animals. Danger of Extermination. Unless sportsmen stand "for sufficient protection to perpetuate our present rabbit rab-bit supply, it will be only a matter of a year or so until ,we wdll have none to protect, and those whom a closed season mav hit hard must not forget the reasons rea-sons underlying it, nor the liberal privileges privi-leges they enjoy, compared with the all but gameless states of, the east, where continued closed eeasons and small bag limits have utterly failed to stay extermination extermi-nation in face of advancing agricultural and close ad more Intensive farming methods. We believe that it is a patriotic duty of sportsmen generally and state fish and game officials in particular to launch an. educational campaign In behalf of our common or native jack rabbits. Many a fine jack rabbit has been shot bv hunters who either left him on the spot or threw- him away an act for which there can be no excuse. That". lack rabbits have been used for food and have many friends who are fond of them, the following report of the ,biologlcal survey attests: Rabbit hunts have taken place since the earliest settlement of the state, but when they were first held by In-- In-- dians is unknowno. The Piutes and other tribes of Indians were accus- tomed to resort to a large valley near Cedar City during the month of November No-vember for the purpose of having a grand hunt for jack rabbits. First Hunts by Whites. The first hunt by whites of which we have any record was participated in by a partv of emigrants on their way' from Salt Lake City to California Cali-fornia in 1841). This early rabbit hunt took place either in Iron or Beaver county. W. L. Mauley, one of the members of the partv, describes the hunt, page 60, Bulletin No. 8, revised eddition biological survey. Between the months of October and March lack rabbits in considerable consider-able quantities are used for food in the larger cities of the United States, from San Francisco to Boston and from St. Paul to Xcw Orleans. The business of handling this game is larger than generally supposed and is capable of being developed into an important industry to the mutual benefit of the consumer and the farmer. Prejudice Unfounded. Many persons have a prejudice ao-'ai'ns't eating jack rabbits because these animals are infested at certain seasons with parasites, or because the flesh is supposed to be strong This prejudice, however, Is entirely im- fThee(parasites of the rabbit are not inlurious to man; furthermore, tl-.e ticks and warblers occur at a. season when tho rabbit should not be killed f0Thforriost Important parasites of a jack rabbit are ticks (ixodes) and' larvae of a fly (cuterebra). Ticks are especially troublesome during the summer and may sometimes lie found clustered about the ears in great numbers. A large fly of the genus cuterebra attacks these hares as it does some other animals. The egg hatches soon and becomes what is known as a "warbler." These warblers are more often seen in July and Apgust. The larva emerges from its case in due time as a perfect insect and the W'ound heals, leaving little or no scar. On some of the rabbits brought to the market large water blisters are occasionally found, which are larvae called coenurus serialis, and have heen found in the jack rabbit, the prairie hare and other animals. Coenurus does not develop into the adult in any of these animals. The biological reports on these animals ani-mals and the further fact that they have been used for food since ISiS and not an instance recorded wherein anyone has suffered any ill-effects from eating them should suffice to prove to our game commissioner com-missioner that they should be protected by law. I will close this article1 with a quotation quota-tion from the well-known authority on wild game Dr. W. T. Hornaday: Present conditions that tend toward wild life destruction are so powerful and so ruthlessly swift in action that w;e must secure results by short cuts and wholesale methods. We dare not wait to educate the masses into higher high-er principles that process is just now too slow. We must get results by widely sweeping measures. Alexander protests against being peddled ped-dled like a chunk of merchandise, and yet Cobb is bought, sold and exchanged half a dozen times a week and never j raises a holler. B0ST0si'LL WiN FLAG SAYS PILOT BARROW New Manager Thinks His Club Is as Good as Champs. By ED BARROW, Manager Boston Red Sox. BOSTON, March 2. When it rolls around to world's series time next October Oc-tober I believe thte Red Sox will have earned the right to meet the ISTational league representatives for the championship. champion-ship. When Jack Berry, Lewis and other Boston stars signed contracts to play for Uncle Sam the Red Sox appeared to be out of the 191S race; bufy president j Harry Frazee was not dismayed and ho j1 immediately started out to secure material ma-terial that would keep Boston on the baseball map. Two months ago every American league fan predicted the White Sox would repeat, this season. Today the Red Sox are .considered just as good a ball team as the champions. Clarence Rowland hasn't lost a single regular and, of course, they will enter the race on April 16 just as' strong as they were when they won the title last October. But President Frazee. during tho past eight weeks has been the most wideawake wide-awake individual I ever knew. He has secured the very best talent possible, , and while it has cost him a fortune to replace his lost stars, I am sure that he will be rewarded with a pennant winner. Evers Will Be Coach. I intend to play Wally Schang at third base. I was talking to Connio Mack about shifting Schang to third and the Philadelphia manager agrees with my judgment. "Schang can be de- i veloped into a star third baseman, lid," were his exact words. In Hoblitzell wo have a good first baseman. Perhaps Stuffy Mclnnis is a better man at the opening bag but I'm going to- play tho former doorkeeper of the Athletics at second base. Mclnnis is a natural player, and a natural player can cover any position. Of course, this VIepends on Hoblitzcl 's remaining with the club; he has notified us that he will try for a commission. When I secured Johnny Evers it was not with tho intention of using him as a player. I want him to instruct Mclnnis Mc-lnnis as a second baseman and Schang as a third baseman. Evers will be tire field leader. I shall run the team as a bench manager and the Trojan will see that my plan of battle is carried out from the coaching box. Evers, however, believes his shoulder , will come around this year. A Ni.w York neuritis specialist is. working on Johnny now, and is confident that the ''souper" will be as good as ever this spring. If it. is the veteran will prove a mighty good utility man. How Frazee Picked Him. T am still after players. I have" a couplo of hardhitting outfielders in t mind, and if I can secure them I am sure the Red Sox will win the pennant. It's funny how Frazee happened to pick mo for this job of managing tho lied Sox. Calling on him one afternoon, after-noon, he said to me: "Well, Ed, it's about time for me to pick a manager. Barry can't get away from the navy. " I sat down to read a paper. Happening Hap-pening to look up, I saw Frazee looking look-ing me up and down. "Say, Ed, I have just selected you as manager of the 191 S Red Sox," ho suddenly flung at me. 'Want the job?" Did I want the job? Say, I was so happv that I could hardly answer. "Well, Harry," I finally replied, "I w-antcd that job ever since I knew Jack Barry couldn't return, but I was afraid that if I asked for it that you might say, 'Cot out of this opera house.' " And that's how I was selected as manager. ' Bonar Law arises to inquire: "Who ; is Billy Sunday?" Bill, if he were so inclined, 'might arise and reply: " Now j I know ' why his folks called him I Bonar." 1 |