82 DuTCHER, Protection of Gulls afid Terns. 1? 



house close to his station, and in the early part of the season had 

 stopped two negroes who were egging on the marsh, and that 

 since then the birds had not been troubled so far as he knew. 



The species protected were Clapper Rails or Mud Hens {Ralbis 

 crepitans), Willet {Syfnphefnia semipalniata) , Laughing or Black- 

 headed Gulls {Lams atridl/a). Terns or Big and Little Strikers 

 (^Sterna hinmdo et antillariim\ and it is probable that the increase 

 in numbers was very material. 



The Committee feel very much encouraged with the results 

 obtained by the past season's efforts and especially with the very 

 earnest and conscientious labors performed by the wardens at 

 their respective stations. A movement has already been started 

 to have the American Ornithologists' Union law passed in Vir- 

 ginia so that the birds will be protected at all seasons of the year. 



Maryland. 



The Maryland law is very satisfactory ; the portion referring 

 to the gulls and terns is as follows : 



" No person shall, in this State, at any time shoot or in any man- 

 ner catch or kill, expose for sale, sell or buy, or have in posses- 

 sion, alive or dead, any herring gull or mackerel gull, or gull of 

 any description, under a penalty of not less than one ($1.00) 

 dollar nor more than five ($5.00) dollars, for each such bird, so 

 shot, caught, killed, exposed for sale, sold, bought or had in 

 possession ; and no person shall under like penalty, have in his 

 or her possession, offer for sale or wear, the skins, plumage, 

 wings, or feathers of any of the birds, the catching or killing of 

 which is prohibited by this section. It is also unlawful to molest 

 or destroy the nests of any of the aforesaid birds, under a pen- 

 alty of not more than twenty-five ($25.00) dollars for each offense." 



The only place in Maryland where a colony was found was on 

 Robbins Marshes, Bacon Island, and Egg Beaches, near North 

 Beach. Mr. Simeon B. Harman, an old resident, was appointed 

 warden. The Common Tern or Mackerel Gull {Sterna hirundo) 

 was the only species protected and the colony^was not a large 

 one. Mr. Harman reports that only once was he called upon to 



