1 8 NATURE STUDY. 



good work, and in consequence the sea birds had the hap- 

 piest and most prosperous season for many years. The 

 resuh was shown almost at once, for the terns re-visited 

 some of their old haunts in the Maine bays, where none 

 had been seen for several seasons. In the last ''Azik'' 

 there is an interview with an old bird hunter of Cape Cod, 

 that brings good cheer to bird lovers. A year ago on Oct- 

 ober first, the day the law was off on gulls, he shot three 

 hundred and seventy-five birds, and during the rest of the 

 w'eek about as many more. His neighbors also bagged a 

 number, having been promised tw^elve and one half cents 

 apiece for them, by New York merchants. The good cheer 

 comes in here, the hunters could never collect a cent for 

 them, thanks to the A. O. U., and the Ivacey law, and our 

 friend, the gunner " guessed shooting birds for hats was 

 about over." 



The scope of the work of protection has been consider- 

 ably increased during the last j^ear. Wardens have been 

 appointed as far as lyouisiana, and the Florida legislature 

 was successfull}'- appealed to, to pass a protective law, so 

 that the small remnant of the state's former ornithological 

 wealth will have some chance of preservation. The slaugh- 

 ter in the South has been terrible. Ornithologists owe a 

 great deal of gratitude to the brave men wdio have 

 interested themselves in thivS branch of bird protec- 

 tion. It requires bravery to hold up legislatures, as has 

 Mr. Dutcher ; it requires much bravery to hold up the peo- 

 ple, and obtain the necessary funds, a work which has been 

 entirely done hy Mr. Abbott H. Thayer, of our own state. 

 It is no less heroic to brave starvation, shipwreck, malaria 

 and mosquitoes in visiting the breeding colonies, to direct 

 the efforts of the wardens and assure their efficiency. 



Should any of our readers feel moved to aid in the pres- 

 ervation of our beautiful sea birds, contributions, large or 



