74 SJiort Notices of Ornilhologlcal Pahllcations. 



The laroest and best known of these is of course the 

 Yellowstone National Park, established by Act of Congress 

 in 1872, Older still, however, are several liohthouse reser- 

 vations, which have since become important refuges. 



Of reservations, large and small, there are ninety-five in 

 all. Notwithstanding this large number, the combined area 

 is comparatively small ; the total area of the fifteen National 

 and " Military " Parks being less than five million acres. 

 This is little enough when compared with the extensive 

 preserves created in (Janada, or the still more extensive 

 reservations in British Africa. 



During the last decade National bird reservations have 

 been established to afford protection to important breeding- 

 colonies of water-birds and to migratory species as they fly 

 North and South, These reservations are nearly all small 

 rocky islands, or marshland of no agricultural value. 



On July 1st, 1912, there were fifty-six of these reservations, 

 grouped into six administrative districts, viz. : the Gulf, 

 Lake, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, and Hawaiian. 



Wardens are stationed in the more important areas ; and 

 the Audubon Societies actively co-operate with the Govern- 

 ment in the work of bird protection. 



The principal birds protected in the different districts 

 arc : — 



In the Gulf district : Brown Pelicans, Gulls, Terns, Herons 

 of various kinds, and Ducks. In the Lake district : — Gulls, 

 Ducks, and White Pelicans ; the Michigan reservations con- 

 tain the largest known breeding-colonies of the Herring- 

 Gull on inland waters. Stump Lake, Dakota, is stated to 

 be the only place in the United States at which the White- 

 winged Scoter [CEdemia fusca?) is known to breed. 



The Mountain district principally shelters Waterfowl and 

 Shorel)irds during the Spring and Autumn migrations, and 

 are develoj)ing into valuable breeding-grounds. 



In the Pacific district, which naturally consists of coast 

 and island refuges, there are great "rookeries^' of sea-birds, 

 such as California and Pigeon Guillemots, Tufted PutfinSj 

 Cormorants of several sorts, Ashy Petrels, and ( 'assin's 



