174 



Bird - Lore 



Notes from Wardens 



Many of the colonies of water birds 

 guarded by the wardens of this Associa- 

 tion, and the United States Department 

 of x\griculture, are showing splendid in- 

 crease in numbers each year. For example, 

 Captain William M. Sprinkle, of Pass 

 Christian, Miss., who guards certain 

 of the large reservations on the Louisiana 

 Coast, reports under date of June 6, igio: 



"I have located four more nesting 

 colonies of Laughing Gulls. These include 

 six nesting-places, which will average 

 1,000 nests each." These are overflow 

 colonies from the reservations where the 

 birds have been increasing with wonderful 

 rapidity since adequate protection has 

 been furnished them. 



Warden L. Alvah Lewis, of the Kla- 

 math Lake Reservation, situated in 

 Southern Oregon and northern California, 

 states that this year there have been 

 notable increases of Canada Geese and 

 Mallard Ducks. Of the White Pelicans 

 and Cormorants there are at least twice 

 as many this year as last. 



From the Atlantic Coast, Warden N. 

 F. Jennett, of the Cape Hatteras Colonies, 

 reports a decided increase of Least Terns 

 and Laughing Gulls. These two birds 

 were on the very verge of extinction when 

 the Audubon Society began its work in 

 these stormy waters a few years ago. — 

 — T. G. P. 



Destroying Cats in New York 



A New York correspondent recently 

 called attention to the undesirability 

 of permitting cats to wander at large in 

 Central Park, particularly during the 

 spring and summer months, when their 

 destructiveness to bird life is well known 

 to be extensive. A letter addressed to 

 Mr. Charles B. Stover, Commissioner of 

 Parks for the Boroughs of Manhattan and 

 Richmond, brought out the interesting 

 fact that a man is employed to guard 

 Central Park from the depredations of 

 creatures calculated to be destructive of 

 birds. He further states that from Janu- 

 ary I to June 1 of the present year, this 



guardian of the birds destroyed 161 cats 

 found in the park. 



While it is a well-known fact that that 

 excellent institution, the American So- 

 ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to 

 Animals, annually kills many cats, it 

 may be interesting to some to learn that 

 according to a letter recently received 

 from Mr. W. K. Horton, General Mana- 

 ger, the organization killed in New York 

 City 100,904 cats between January i and 

 June I of the present year. If all the 

 towns and cities in the United States had 

 as good a record for destroying homeless 

 or discarded cats, there would be more 

 song birds to brighten the earth. — T. G. P. 



Specific Charges Against Cats 



I am a recent subscriber to Bird-Lore 

 and notice with interest the campaign 

 against cats. Although one may be ever 

 so fond of cats, the numerous bird- 

 tragedies of the nesting-season caused by 

 them should lead to the lessening of their 

 numbers. I am skeptical when anyone says 

 "My cats never catch birds; it is only 

 the hungry ones abandoned by their 

 owners." 



I have seen an active mother cat in one 

 season devour the contents of almost 

 every robin's nest in an orchard, even 

 when tar, chicken wire and other pre- 

 ventatives were placed on the trunks of 

 the trees. The robin builds so conspicuous 

 and accessible a nest, and is so easily agita- 

 ted by the approach of a cat, that it is dif- 

 ficult to save the young. Shutting up cats 

 at the time the robins are leaving the nest 

 is a help. One cat brought in Meadow 

 Larks, Chippies, Bluebirds, a Wilson's 

 Snipe, an Ovenbird, two Hummingbirds, a 

 a Flicker, a Swallow and a young Partridge 

 within a few days. As a rule, cats eat birds 

 in secret after being pursued and scolded 

 and having their prey wrested from them, 

 so only a heap of feathers tells the tale. 



I have been surprised to note how un- 

 conscious people can be to the cries of 

 alarm of the commonest birds about them. 

 If we are educated to notice, it is second 

 nature to fly to the rescue. — Anxe E. 

 Perkins, M. D., Gowanda, New York. 



