^78 DuTCHER, Protection of Gulls and Terns. X^'f!^ 



kill or destroy the bird known as the gull or striker, before the first 

 day of September, or take its eggs later in the season than the 

 twentieth of July." 



As it was useless to attempt to protect either the birds or eggs 

 tmtil the close season commenced, the wardens were, prior to that 

 date, fully informed of the exact text of the law and were in- 

 structed to absolutely enforce its provisions from the first to the 

 last day of the close season on all the birds breeding or living 

 near their stations. Just prior to the end of the close season, our 

 member, Mr. Frank C. Kirkwood, volunteered to make a trip to each 

 of the stations in Virginia and the one in Maryland, which he did at 

 much personal discomfort. The trip lasted from August 20 to 29, 

 inclusive, and was made in a twenty-five foot sharpie, a shallow, 

 flat-bottomed sail boat. When Mr. Kirkwood was fortunate enough 

 to reach a life-saving station at night he was comfortably housed, 

 but on several occasions the night was spent at anchor, his couch 

 being the bottom of the boat and his covering a portion of the sail 

 or the sky. Sleep was almost impossible, for if he retired under 

 the sail he was almost suffocated with the heat, and when he threw 

 it off, life was unendurable owing to the swarms of mosquitoes. 

 High and head winds, fog, rain, mosquitoes, and on one occasion 

 a temperature of 119° in the sun at 7 A. M., were some of the dif- 

 ficulties Mr. Kirkwood had to overcome during his trip, and on his 

 return to his home he was laid up with a sharp attack of malaria 

 as the result of his fatigue and exposure. Mr. Kirkwood reported 

 that he was very well pleased with the results of the work done by 

 the eight wardens, that he, in the main, found them interested, 

 and that the reports they severally made to him could be depended 

 upon. 



On his return Mr. Kirkwood submitted a long written report 

 from which I quote the following interesting details : 



Isaacs Island. 



Captain Hitchens gave me the following estimates: 



Common Tern {Sterna hirundo). — Thousands bred, about twice as 

 many as last year. 



