XVI 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



Brown Pelicans have been coming, from the time whereof the memory of man runneth not 

 to the contrary, to lay their eggs and rear their young. About the time this law was enacted 

 long quills became very popular in the millinery trade. Some of us found that the millinery 

 stores in large cities were selling feathers taken from the Bush Turkey, the Albatross, the 

 Brown Pelican, and also from the old Turkey Buzzard of the South. Certain people tried 

 to secure the repeal of the Florida law, so that the Pelicans might be killed for their feathers. 

 This caused the question to rise: Would it be possible to get the government of 

 the United States to take hold of that island in some way? A man who kills a bird would 

 rather be haled before a local magistrate where the jury probably would be composed of 

 friends and neighbors, who themselves had killed birds. In such a case it was a simple matter 



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Photo bv H. L, Uilla 



CVjurle^y ot Nat. Aiiiu. Aud. Soc, 



PARK RANGER AND CAMP ROBBER (GRAY JAYJ 

 Mount Ranier in background 



to leave the plough for a day and stand trial. But in a Federal court it is a different proposi- 

 tion. Here a man may have to travel half way across the state to attend court, and must 

 appear before a jury composed of strangers — a situation to be dreaded. 



There did not seem to be any way whereby this Federal control could be secured until 

 the matter was finally taken up with President Roosevelt, who said, " If the land office will 

 recommend that this land is not good for agricultural purposes we will make it a bird-reserve 

 under the care of the Department of Agriculture, provided the Audubon Society will agree 

 to hire a man to act as guardian on the island." In a very short time the matter was arranged, 

 and the President declared the island a bird-sanctuary in perpetuity — a breeding place 

 for wild birds for all time. He took a short cut in doing this for there was no s]3ecific law 

 giving the executive such authority. Along the coast of Florida were found nine other small 

 islands suitable for this purpose, and Mr. Roosevelt made them all Federal bird-reservations. 



Later inquiry was made about places suitable for sanctuaries for other birds, for, bear 

 in mind, many large birds over extended areas were threatened with extirpation to supply 



