Report of the Secretary 483 



the past year in protecting these birds, in which President Dutcher has long 

 taken so warm and personal an interest. 



EGRET PROTECTION 



Quite aside from this general warden work, is our special effort for the pro- 

 tection of Egrets, on behalf of which sixteen guards were employed during the 

 past spring and summer. These colonies are situated in South Carolina, 

 Georgia, and Florida. Egrets, today, are not sufficiently abundant to cause 

 much embarrassment in determining the numbers that inhabit any particular 

 colony; especially has this been the case with those rookeries in Florida which 

 have been personally visited by Oscar E. Baynard, our Supervising Warden 

 for that state. During the past summer, Mr. Baynard spent many days 

 struggling through these rookeries to count the occupied nests, and in doing 

 so he was often forced to wade waist-deep in water infested with moccasins, 

 alligators, and innumerable unpleasant insects, as the Secretary can testify, 

 after having accompanied him on one of these expeditions. 



In the eleven colonies of large Egrets protected, and carefully counted, 

 we believe there were about 5,100 birds; while the count of SnoA\y Egrets, in 

 thirteen colonies, was 2,375. With few exceptions. Egrets were found in rook- 

 eries inhabited by numerous other wading-birds. Counts and estimates of 

 these show Black-crowned Night Herons, 1,055; Louisiana Herons, 6,200 (in 

 addition to those being cared for by the general warden force, above referred 

 to); Ward's Herons, i,oco; Green Herons, 800; Least Bitterns, 700; Water 

 Turkeys, 2,922; Purple Gallinules, 1,500; Florida Gallinules, 2,000; Little 

 Blue Herons, 7,076; White Ibis, 26,800; and Wood Ibis, 60,500. 



It is with special pleasure that we record the presence, in our protected 

 colonies, of 160 Limpkins and 147 Roseate Spoonbills, scattered through five 

 rookeries; also three pairs of the now extremely rare Glossy Ibis. Other inter- 

 esting birds that have had protection in these guarded nesting-groups are 

 Wood Ducks, Great Blue Herons, Swallow-tailed Kites, King Rails, Boat- 

 tailed Crackles, Florida Redwings, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, and Florida 

 Dusky Ducks. 



Many of the estimates given above, particularly those in reference to the 

 Wood Ibis, the Little Blue, and the Louisiana Herons, are far beneath the 

 true figures. I believe it very conservative to state that about 550,000 water- 

 birds of various kinds received admirable protection from their human enemies 

 during the nesting season of 19 14, as a result of the watchful efforts of this 

 Association. 



JUNIOR AUDUBON CLASSES 



The greatest reward of the conscientious teacher is to watch the minds of 

 her pupils unfold and develop under her guidance. Some suggestion of this is 



