BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 241 



GAME PRESERVATION. 



NATIONAL BIRD RESERVATIONS. 



Four national bird reservations were established during the past 

 year — Dungeness Spit and Ediz Hook in Washington, Mille Lacs in 

 Minnesota, and Blackbeard Island in Georgia — making a total of 70 

 reservations set apart to date, of which 67 are now in charge of the 

 department. Recently it was deemed advisable to relinquish Black- 

 beard Island, and accordingly, on May 25, 1915, the order establishing 

 this reservation was vacated by order of the President. With few 

 exceptions conditions on most of the reservations where warden serv- 

 ice is maintained during whole or part of the year have been very 

 favorable for the increase of bird life. 



■ Deer Flat, Idaho. — The warden stationed at this reservation re- 

 ported on June 16, 1915, that he had discovered 50 pairs of pelicans 

 nesting, the first time these birds have been known to breed there. 

 Several species of ducks breed on or near this reserve, and this num- 

 ber will, no doubt, be considerably augmented in the future. The 

 prime value of the reservation in the cause of bird protection is the 

 refuge it affords to the thousands of ducks, geese, swans, pelicans, 

 and other birds stopping here to rest and feed during migration. 



Forrester Island, Alaska. — The bureau continues to maintain 

 warden service on this reservation during the fishing season. The 

 warden estimates that more than a third of a million water birds 

 breed on the island, the species most numerous being the tufted 

 puffin, rhinoceros auklet, ancient murrelet, California murre, glau- 

 cous-winged gull, forked-tailed petrel, and Kaeding's petrel, the 

 last species numbering 100,000. 



Anaho Island, Nev. — In the first official investigation of this res- 

 ervation by an inspector of the bureau, in October, 1914, 29 species 

 of birds were noted. The more common were the Farallon cormo- 

 rant, coot, western meadowlark, and house finch. Pelicans, which also 

 inhabit the island, had migrated at the time. Formerly Indians be- 

 longing to the Pyramid Lake Reservation, as well as tourists, raided 

 the island during the nesting season and collected large quantities 

 of pelican eggs. Warden service is now maintained during the nest- 

 ing season. 



Smith Island, Wash. — This reservation, comprising Smith and 

 Minor Islands, is important as a refuge for thousands of brant during 

 their migratory flights. Heretofore large numbers of these birds 

 were illegally killed by hunters in power boats. Through the coop- 

 eration of the lighthouse keeper the birds are now unmolested. 



East Park, Cal. — While investigating conditions on this reserva- 

 *tion in March the inspector received information that at least a thou- 

 sand swans had died in the vicinity of a 20-acre lake owned by the 

 Butte Country Club near Live Oak, in the adjacent county. His 

 report states that the lake is fed from the overflow of rice fields 

 which have little water in them during earl;^ winter before the rainy 

 season sets in. Late in January the swans sickened and in February 

 many died. The cause of the mortality was not ascertained. 



22814°— AGB 1915 16 



