122 DuTCHER, Report of Comniittev on liird Protection . Ft^n 



White House, March 14, 1903. 

 It is hereby ordered that Pelican Island in Indian River in section nine, 

 township thirtj-one south, range thirty-nine east, State of Florida, be, and 

 it is hereby, reserved and set apart for the use of the Department of Agri- 

 culture as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds. 



(Signed) Theodore Roosevelt. 



Pursuant to this order the Secretary of Agriculture appointed 

 as the Keeper of the reservation Mr. Paul Kroegel, the warden 

 employed by the Thayer Fund. 



(Copy.) 



April 4, 1903. 

 Mr. Paul Kroegel, 



Sebastian, Florida. 



Sir : — 



Under an order signed by the President, on March 14, Pelican Island has 

 been reserved as a breeding-ground for native birds under the charge of the 

 Department of Agriculture. This island, as you are aware, has been under 

 the care of the Committee on Protection of Birds of the American Orni- 

 thologists' Union for the last two years. For the present the Committee 

 will cooperate with the Department in preserving the birds, and upon 

 recommendation of the Chairman of the Committee you have been 

 appointed as Warden in charge of the reservation. 



No shooting will be allowed on the island or in the vicinity and no one 

 will be allowed to land on the island without permission from you or from 

 this department. Any infraction of this rule should be reported promptly 

 with a statement of your action. You should make every effort to make 

 the fact generally known that the object of establishing this reservation is 

 to preserve the pelicans, and you should strive to secure the cooperation 

 of the public so that the birds may be protected, not only on their breed- 

 ing grounds but also after they leave the island. 

 Respectfully, 



(Signed) James Wilson, 



Secretary. 



Two large signs were painted and placed at the edge of the 

 island where all who approached could not fail to see them, the 

 signs reading as follows : 



