276 



Bird -Lore 



Allen at once became not onl\- a member of 

 the Board of Directors, but a member of the 

 Executive Committee, which position he 

 held as long as the Society continued active. 

 Dr. J. A. Allen was one of the founders and 

 incorporators of the National Association of 

 Audubon Societies, established in January, 

 1905. From that time until his death he re- 

 mained an acti\e member of the Board and 

 was most faithful in his attendance at its 

 meetings. To the very last he took deep 

 interest in all the Association's problems and 



achievements. His mature judgment and 

 deep, sympathetic interest made his services 

 of the greatest value to the organization. 



The burial took place in Windsor Ceme- 

 ter>' at Cornwall-on-Hudson, on the after- 

 noon of September i, 1921. Many of his 

 friends and associates joumej'ed from New 

 York, Washington, and elsewhere to be pres- 

 ent on this impressive occasion and by their 

 attendance do such poor honor as was pos- 

 sible to one whose life had been so largely 

 spent in the interests of others. 



NEW AUDUBON BIRD RESERVATION 



In an article by the writer, which appeared 

 in BiRD-LoRK, September-October, 1920, 

 some account will be found of the vast bird- 

 life which he discovered to exist on Big Bird 

 Island, Little Bird Island, and Green Island 

 situated in Laguna de la Madre, Texas. 

 Thousands of Herons, including the rare 

 Reddish Egret, here collect in summer to 

 rear their young. Here also are found tens of 

 thousands of breeding Terns and Laughing 

 Gulls. From an ornithological standpoint 

 the most interesting discovery was that of a 

 breeding colony of White Pelicans. 



Two good friends of the Association in 

 Texas, viz, Judge James B. Wells and R. D. 

 Camp, both of Brownsville, interested them- 

 selves in endeavoring to secure from the state 

 of Texas the title to these islands, in the 

 name of the National .\ssociation of Audubon 

 Societies, in order that the birds resorting to 

 this territory might have the fullest measure 

 of protection during that season of the year 

 when they stand in great need of such aid. As 

 the islands were state propertj', the most feas- 

 ible way of securing jurisdiction over them 

 appeared to be by legislative action. 



On August 18, 1921, a cheering telegram 

 was received from Judge Wells in which he 

 stated that the Texas Legislature had just 

 l)assed a 1)111 leasing these and the Three 

 Islands, also located in the Laguna, to the 

 Association for a jjeriod of lifl\' years. Thi^ 

 splendid action was taken entirely at llie 

 solicitation of Judge Wells and Mr. Camp. 

 The law leasing these islands to the Asso- 

 ciation is as follows: 



A BILL 



To Be Entitled 



.\N ACT to authorize the Commissioner of 

 the General Land OlTice to lease Green 

 Island, the group of islands known as 

 Three Islands and North Bird Island and 

 South Bird Island and the adjacent flats 

 and reefs in Laguna Madre on the Texas 

 Coast for a term not to exceed fifty years 

 to the National Association of Audubon 

 Societies for and in consideration of said 

 Association undertaking to propagate, 

 protect, and conserve birds and bird-life 

 thereon; providing for the ])rotection of 

 birds and bird-life thereon; ()roviding 

 I)unishmcnt by line and imprisonment for 

 violation of ibis .\ct and declaring an 

 emergency. 



Be it eiuuiai by the Legislature of the State 

 of Texas: 



Section i. For and in consideration of 

 the undertaking by the National Association 

 of .\udubon Societies to propagate, protect, 

 and conserve birds and bird-life on North 

 Bird Island and on South Bird Island in Kle- 

 berg County; on Green Island in Cameron 

 County and on the group of islands known as 

 Three Islands in Cameron County, and on 

 the flats and reefs and .sliallow waters in the 

 vicinity of and adjacent to all of said islands 

 so far as such waters,, flats and reefs may be 

 necessary for purposes of this Act, and as the 

 same are situated in Laguna Madre between 

 Badre Island and the main coast lines of said 

 counties, the Commissioner of the General 

 Land Oflice shall, upon ai)plication of said 

 .Association, lease said areas or so much 

 tliereof as said .Association may desire for 

 tiie ])urposes stated herein for a term not to 

 exceed fifty years; pr,)vided, if said .Asso- 

 ciation should at any time during the term of 

 any lease issued under this .\ct dissoKc its 

 organization or consent to a termination of 

 such lease the Commissioner of the General 



