ORNITHOLOGY 



319 



and food was there no longer obtain- 

 able. In hundreds of thousands they 

 concentrated on Marsh Island and also 

 in the marsh of the adjacent mainland. 

 To wild birds it is a delightful sylvan 



Sage. The details of this purchase 

 have already been fully explained in 

 the newspapers. In an interesting 

 article Mr. William T. Hornaday 

 writes as follows : 



A PART OF THE SXOWY HEROXRY. 



labyrinth studded with lakes, ponds, 

 bayous and creaks innumerable, with 

 sand ridges and beaches of great value 

 to bird life. Natural food for birds is 

 abundant. The place affords shelter 

 and feeding grounds for myriads ot 

 migratory birds, woodpeckers and 

 shore birds, all of which become of 

 great service in the north when the in- 

 sect millions of spring, summer ana 

 autumn are busiest in field, orchard 

 and garden. 



Mr. Mcllhenny of Aver)- Island, 

 Louisiana, who has acquired money 

 and fame in the manufacture of Tabas- 

 co Sauce, decided long ago that this 

 island should be converted into a per- 

 petual bird sanctuary b)' outright pur- 

 chase. Through a series of prolonged 

 and intense efforts against many dis- 

 couragements, he finally secured the 

 contribution of $150,000 from Mrs. 



"It is very probable that eventually 

 the new sanctuary will be offered to 

 the nation as a free gift, on condition 

 that the government, national or state, 

 will protect it perpetually against 

 poachers. Beyond a doubt the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture would gladly ac- 

 cept such a proposal if made, and m 

 the near future we may expect to see 

 the Marsh Island bird refuge pass into 

 the custody of the representatives of 

 the American people. 



"The gift by which this dedication 

 is made possible is the second largest 

 ever made by one individual for the 

 cause of wild life. The largest gift 

 ever made for wild life protection in 

 America was the bequest of Mr. David 

 Wilcox to the National Association of 

 Audubon Societies, which amounted to 

 $322,000." 



This is the real advance in the cause, 



