100 The President's Address: {_ J''"}L. 



Birds Affect the Orchard," " The Relation of Birds to Fruit- 

 growers in CaHfornia," " The Relation of Sparrows to Agri- 

 culture," " Birds as Weed Destroyers," " Cuckoos and Shrikes," 

 &c. From time to time information on special subjects has 

 been published in the Year-Book. Examples : — " Definitions of 

 Close Seasons for Game," " Some Benefits the Farmer may 

 Derive from Game Protection," &c. The distribution of 

 publications on the habits and uses of birds undoubtedly 

 constitutes a prominent educational factor, and is of immense 

 service in creating a sentiment in favour of bird or game 

 protection. 



Preserves. — Previous to 1900 the American Government had 

 set aside only three reservations for the protection of birds and 

 animals, namely : — Yellowstone Park, National Zoological 

 Park, and Afognak Island. Since eight additional preserves 

 have been established, all except two being small islands of no 

 agricultural value. The best known of these reservations is 

 Pelican Island, Florida. It is little more than a mud flat about 

 four acres in extent, with only a few mangroves, one or two 

 cabbage palms, and patches of coarse herbage — a locality for 

 many years the home of a large colony of Brown Pelicans. 

 Prior to 1901, when the State passed a comprehensive law 

 protecting non-game birds, their nests and eggs, and a warden 

 was placed in charge of the island, the colony was in danger of 

 extermination. Plume-hunters could easily destroy the birds for 

 quills, which were then fashionable for ladies' hats, while 

 collectors could carry away a very large number of eggs. One 

 collector who visited the place is said to have taken no less than 

 125 sets of eggs. All this is now changed. Three years ago 

 the island was made a Government reservation by Executive 

 order, placed in charge of the Department of Agriculture, and 

 the warden appointed as an officer of the department. As a 

 consequence the Pelicans now flourish. The island has been 

 visited by ornithologists, who have made studies of the birds, 

 and interesting data never before available have been collected 

 regarding their food, moulting, nesting habits, &c. 



Co-operation of Societies. — The most important factor in the 

 protection of non-game birds in the United States has un- 

 doubtedly been the work of the Audubon Societies. The good 

 work of the Audubon Societies * in connection with bird pro- 

 tection in North America has already been mentioned in TJie 

 Emu, vol. iv., p. 29. Local societies have been organised in no 

 less than thirty-six (36) States, and last year the movement was 

 given greater importance by the incorporation of the National 



* The chief objects of the association are, as far as possible, to prevent — (i) the 

 killing of any wild birds not used for food ; (2) the destruction of nests and eggs of any 

 wild birds ; and (3) the wearing of feathers as ornaments or trimming for dress. 



