PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 25. 51 



or diseases of an infectious nature might have the effect of 

 destroying all of the birds existing in the limited territory on 

 Marthas Vineyard. 



As a first move in this direction we shipped a consignment of 

 this rare bird to the New York Conservation Commission on 

 Dec. 23, 1916, for propagation purposes. These birds were 

 successfully trapped on their native breeding grounds, and 

 delivered to Superintendent Rogers, associated with the 

 New York Commission, who personally transferred them to 

 Shoreham, Long Island. Here the New York Conservation 

 Commission has spared no expense in providing a house for 

 them, and the residents of Long Island have enthusiastically 

 responded to the plan to restore the birds to that section, 

 where once they were more abundant than in any other part 

 of their former range. 



CATS AND BIRD LIFE. 



The "Boston Transcript" of June 9, 1916, contained a little 

 paragraph which furnishes all bird lovers with food for thought. 



June is the month when by far the largest number of birds of all species 

 are raising their young, "American Forestry" tells its readers. It is also 

 the month when the largest number of birds perish. The fledglings are 

 killed by storms, by boys with slingshots or guns, and by marauding cats. 

 Their worst enemy is the cat. Every owner of a cat should see that it 

 is kept secluded at this time, and cats without owners should be mercifully 

 exterminated. Only in this way can our native birds be conserved and 

 attracted to our gardens. 



An example of their destructiveness is found in the case of 

 the Marthas Vineyard reservation, where Superintendent Day 

 has to wage continual warfare in protection of the young birds. 

 In 1916, 27 hunting cats were shot. These animals, abandoned 

 by summer residents, revert to a wild state, and become a 

 menace to our bird life. 



On the South Carver Reservation, on Nov. 11, 1916, Super- 

 intendent Gushing shot a savage hunting cat which had been 

 at large on the reservation for nearly a year. The specimen 

 measured 3 feet, 5 inches from nose to tip of tail, and weighed 

 about 22 pounds. 



