398 Bird - Lore 



States Clubs Members 



Rhode Island 11 744 



South Carolina 31 1,048 



South Dakota 52 i,974 



Tennessee 12 394 



Texas 52 2,106 



Utah 51 2,039 



Vermont 20 1,017 



Virginia 55 2,281 



Washington 55 2,446 



West Virginia 41 1,621 



Wisconsin 145 5,553 



Wyoming 5 202 



Canada 216 7,191 



Totals 5,543 216,572 



WARDENS AND RESERVATIONS 



Some of the Herring Gull colonies that have long been guarded by the 

 wardens of the Association were this year abandoned temporarily, at least. 

 This special protective work was begun about twenty years ago, as the birds 

 at that time had been greatly reduced in numbers because of the war made 

 on them by the agents of the millinery trade. With the passage of the Audubon 

 Law in the various states of the Union, and the later state and Federal enact- 

 ments which rendered it illegal to sell feathers of native birds, the demand 

 for Gulls' wings in the feather trade may be said to have entirely stopped. 



Aside from their natural enemies, therefore, this species had but little to 

 fear, save when an occasional lobsterman or fisherman landed on their breeding- 

 islands to gather a bucket of eggs for food, or when some fishermen or tourist 

 shot at a passing bird. Even this was prevented largely by the watchfulness 

 of the Audubon wardens. Very naturally, therefore, this species began rapidly 

 to increase and has once more become an extremely abundant species. 



The Herring Gull lives not altogether a blameless life, and varied are 

 the complaints that have been made against him because of his alleged killing 

 of young domestic ducks and chickens, his destruction of sheep pastures 

 along the coast, and his pollution of city reservoirs. Arthur H. Norton, 

 representing this Association, was sent along the coast of Maine two different 

 summers to make careful observations on the destructiveness of the Herring 

 Gull. As result of his final investigations, coupled with the recommendations 

 of Edward H. Forbush, State Ornithologist of Massachusetts, and Dr. E. W. 

 Nelson, Chief of the Bureau of Biological Survey in Washington, the Board 

 of Directors decided the past spring that the Association was not at this time 

 justified in continuing to spend money to guard these birds, and several 

 wardens therefore, were withdrawn from service. As there is today practically 

 no demand for their feathers and but little egging is known to exist, the Gulls 



