The Audubon Societies 



191 



Deer stop on the island but do not 

 violate the state laws as there are no 

 gardens to destroy. 



Willow island is a 'station' for many 

 rare plants, some of them no doubt being 

 deposited there during the spring freshets. 



This island is one of the most beautiful 

 and attractive pieces of land in the Con- 

 necticut river, and with the present 

 desire for the wanton destruction of tim- 

 ber it is a relief and comfort to know that 

 one spot is saved from devastation. — ■ 

 John H. S.-^ge. 



[The National Association has leased 

 Willow Island for five years with the 

 privilege of purchasing it for $3,500. 



Plans are now being made to raise this 

 amount through a popular subscription 

 in Connecticut, especially among the 

 school children, in order to purchase this 

 island and make it a bird refuge in per- 

 petuity. 



According to recent statistics, there are 

 in the state 227,547 children of school age, 

 and a contribution of less than two cents 

 each would more than provide the neces- 

 sary fund for the purchase of Willow 

 island. What a grand thing it will be for 

 the children of the State of Connecticut 

 to purchase and make Willow Island a 

 perpetual home and refuge for birds]. 



A New Park and Bird Refuge. — 

 Mr. Walmsley, the president of the Miss- 

 ouri Audubon Society, is also secretary 

 of the Kansas City Zoological Society. 

 He sends the following brief description 

 of the new park: 



"In reply to your request for infor- 

 mation as to our Zoological Park will say 

 that it is located in one of our city parks of 

 over 1,300 acres and known as Swope 

 Park. This park is full of wild life and 

 the employees are already trapping 

 wolves, fo.xes and other wild animals to be 

 placed in the new Zoo. We have set aside 

 sixty acres to be enclosed and on which 

 to erect animal buildings for temporary 

 quarters. The city has set aside $15,000 

 (and an additional $10,000 is available) 

 for the purpose of erecting these build- 

 ings. They will be built of stone and cement 



quarried within the park. Through this- 

 si.xty acres runs a little creek fed by several 

 springs. Along this creek on either side 

 rise minature rocky cliffs and it is the plan 

 to hollow out these clitTs into dens with 

 enclosures in front for such animals as 

 live in rocky dens. A drive will pass over 

 the tops of these dens and on either side- 

 of the creek in front of them so that all 

 kinds of views can be had of the animals. 



"The creek will be built into a series of 

 cascades for about a thousand feet and 

 in each basin will be placed aquatic 

 animals, also plants and fish. To the 

 west of this valley lies about 160 acres of 

 level ground in which I hope in time to 

 locate the Botanical Gardens. Through 

 Swope Park and immediately bordering 

 the sixty acres at present laid out, flows 

 the Blue river, a beautiful little stream. 

 Near the entrance at Swope Park, and 

 immediately to the southwest of the sixty 

 acres, is a stone building known as the 

 shelter house which we hope to convert 

 into a museum gathering therien all the 

 private collections of this section; and 

 here, the children can examine the mounted: 

 specimens and then go into the main park 

 and become familiar with them in life. 



"While we are only beginning in a small 

 way we expect to have a Zoological Gar- 

 den of which we can all be proud. Nature 

 has certainly provided us with a location 

 that could not be surpassed." 



The Farmington Mountain Reser- 

 vation. — Perhaps your readers may be- 

 interested to hear that the owners of the- 

 Farmington (Conn.) Mountains have- 

 agreed together to make the mountains a. 

 kind of Yellowstone Park reservation 

 for all the wild life of the state; there is to- 

 be no hunting of any kind for ten years. 

 And it is proposed to stock the reservation 

 with the three or four game birds which 

 have been exterminated. The Pinnated 

 Grouse, the Wild Turkey, and, we might 

 add, the Ruffed Grouse. The Farmington 

 Mountains, which are really high trap 

 ledges, are a continuation of the Green 

 Mountains, and if the whole range of 

 mountains running through New England. 



