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THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



cans eat fish and should not be pro- 

 tected," declared one Floridian. "We 

 need Pelican quills to sell to the feather- 

 dealers," chimed in another with a keen 

 eye to the main chance. There was 

 talk of repealing the law at the next 

 session of the legislature, and the hearts 

 of the Audubon workers were troubled. 

 At first they thought of buying the 

 island, and putting themselves thus in a 

 position to protect its feathered in- 

 habitants by preventing trespass. The 

 island proved however, to be unsur- 

 veyed government land, and some one 

 suggested the idea of getting the govern- 

 ment to make it a reservation to pro- 

 tect the birds. At length the matter 

 was submitted to President Roosevelt, 

 who no sooner ascertained that the land 

 was not suited for agricultural purposes, 

 and that the Audubon Society would 

 guard it, than, with characteristic di- 

 rectness, he issued the following remark- 

 able edict: "It is hereby ordered that 

 Pelican Island in Indian River is re- 

 served and set apart for the use of the 

 Department of Agriculture as a preserve 

 and l)reeding ground for native birds." 



The gist of this order, bearing the 

 authorization of the Secretary of Agri- 

 culture, was shortly painted on a large 

 sign, which was then placed on the island, 

 where all who sailed near might read. 

 Imagine the chagrin of the Audubon 

 workers upon learning from their warden 

 that, when the pelicans returned that 

 season to occupy the island as before, 

 they took one look at this declaration 

 of the President and immediately de- 

 parted, one and all, to a neighboring 

 island entirely outside of the reservation! 

 Signs less alarming in size were substi- 

 tuted, and the pelicans, their feelings 

 appeased, graciously returned, and to 

 the joy of all concerned have since dwelt 

 there peacefully, and flourished under 

 the protecting care of the government. 



In view of the fact that some people 

 contended that the President had over- 

 stepped his authority in making a bird 

 reservation, a law was drafted, and 

 passed by Congress specifically giving 

 protection to birds on lands set apart 

 as national bird reservations. The legal 

 difficulties now removed, the way lay 

 open for the creation of other bird reser- 

 vations, and the Audubon Society eagerly 

 seized the opportunity. Explorations 

 were at once begun to locate such other 

 government territories as might be 

 found to contain important colonies of 

 water birds, and this work was quickly 

 extended over many parts of the United 

 States. Plumage hunters and eggers 

 were busy plying their trade wherever 

 this class of birds was known to collect 

 in numbers, and the work had to be 

 hurried if the birds were to be saved. 



Mr. Frank M. ^Miller, of New Orleans, 

 reported a case in which five thousand 

 eggs were broken on one Louisiana 

 island inhabited by sea birds, in order 

 that fresh eggs might subsequently be 

 gathered by the eggers whose waiting 

 boats lay at anchor oft'shore. No won- 

 der the friends of the birds were pro- 

 foundly disturbed concerning the future 

 welfare of the wild water birds, and 

 hailed with delight the accession to 

 their ranks of the daring, qviick-acting 

 Mr. Roosevelt. 



So enthusiastic was Mr. William Dut- 

 cher, president of the National Associ- 

 ation of Audubon Societies, with the 

 results achieved in federal reservation 

 work in 1905, that he declared in his 

 annual report that if the Association 

 had done nothing else than secure federal 

 bird reservations and help guard them 

 during the breeding season, its existence 

 would be fully warranted. 



President Roosevelt estal)lished that 

 year foin* more bird refuges; one of 

 these. Stump Lake, in North Dakota, 



