262 ANNUAL EEPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGBICULTUEE. 



for transportation to the markets of the Middle West, has been broken 

 up through cooperation of Federal agencies and State officials. 



In a c3^clone which crossed the reservation at Cotton Wood Point 

 on May 27, se^'en persons were killed, two were seriously injured, 

 and considerable damage was done to the cabins and house boats in 

 the vicinity. 



Hawaiian Islands Reservation. — Reports from several sources 

 indicate that foreign fishing parties and other poachers have been 

 robbing the nests of birds on numerous islands of this reservation and 

 elsewhere in the Territory. A report from Lieut. Wm. Todd, of a 

 United States naval party which on May 24 visited the reservation, 

 states that some ten or twelve thousand birds nest on Bird Island 

 and that all the nests on the eastern slope and most of those on the 

 top of the island have been robbed of eggs. 



Laysan Island has not been visited during the year, but it is feared 

 that the rabbits on this island will become so numerous as to denude 

 it of vegetation. Undoubtedly it will be necessary to dispatch a 

 party in the near future to exterminate these rodents, for through 

 their destrnction of the vegetation they seriously menace the existence 

 of several species of land birds on the island. 



INTERSTATE COMMERCE IN GAME. 



Forty-five violations of sections 242, 243, and 244 of the Penal Code 

 of the United States, known as the Lacey Act, were reported to the 

 solicitor during the year. These cases included the interstate ship- 

 ment of wild ducks, partridges (ruffed grouse), quail, prairie 

 chickens, venison, scjuirrels, and the hides of fur-bearing animals 

 illegally killed in or illegally shipped from the States of Colorado, 

 Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Mis- 

 souri, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, 

 and Wisconsin. Four of the cases were for knowingly receiving 

 game illegally shipped in interstate commerce. One of these has 

 already been disposed of with a fine of $400 and costs, the maximum 

 of $200 on each of two counts. This is one of the heaviest fines ever 

 imposed for an offense of this character. 



Thirty-two cases, including a few reported in the previous fiscal 

 year, were disposed of by the courts, as follows: Twenty-nine by 

 convictions and the impositions of fines and costs amounting in all to 

 $1,522. and one by a jail sentence of 30 days. One case was dismissed 

 for lack of sufficient evidence and in one a verdict of not guilty was 

 returned. 



Two additional inspectors were appointed on May 1, making five 

 now engaged in investigating violations of the Lacey Act. The 

 country has been divided into five districts, each in charge of an 

 inspector, and the bureau is thus able to investigate more promptly 

 reported violations. Special attention has been given to illegal ship- 

 ments of quail from a number of the Middle Western States, and 22 

 cases have been reported. Violations of the Lacey Act are becoming 

 fewer each year as a result of the increased activities of the burean 

 and the closer cooperation of State game officials and others inter- 

 ested in game conservation. Only tw^o States now permit hunting 

 for the market — Louisiana and South Carolina. 



