I-2 DuTCHER, Report of Comtnittee on Bird Protection. [ Jan. 



under adequate protection, thej ought to increase sufficiently to partially 

 restock their former haunts. 



The Louisiana and Little Blue Herons, particularly the former, are still 

 very abundant and as they are not sought after by plume hunters, they will 

 continue to hold their own for a long time to come. 



The White Ibises are still very abundant, but as they are killed in large 

 numbers bv gunners in the winter and the young are much sought after 

 by the natives for food, they need protection. 



The Roseate Spoonbills are steadily decreasing in numbers from the same 

 cause and certainly need most stringent protection to save them from 

 extinction. Their breeding grounds are restricted to the most inaccessible 

 localities from which they can be very easily driven by persecution ; their 

 beautiful plumage makes them attractive prey for the sportsmen and 

 tourists. 



You are certainly fortunate in your selection of wardens for the protec- 

 tion of this inaccessible region, and it would be hard to find better men 

 for this work than Messrs. Bradley and Burton. The rookeries are so 

 widely scattered and traveling is so diificult, either on land or water, 

 that it is almost impossible for two, or even three, men to cover this 

 whole region at all thoroughly. The native conchs and negroes, many of 

 whom are desperate characters, can, by watching the wardens' move- 

 ments, visit the rookeries with impunity and make wholesale depredations 

 on the young herons, ibises and even cormorants for food. Several expe- 

 ditions of this kind have already been broken up by the judicious employ- 

 ment of negro spies, who have kept the wardens informed. 



The most effective work against the plume hunters can be done by 

 working against the purchasers of plumes, thus destroying the demand, 

 rather than against the hunters themselves, who are expert woodsmen 

 and very ditficult to catch. All of the principal rookeries and roosts have 

 been thoroughly posted and whenever we went to explore a new one, 

 Bradley always carried a supply of warning notices, which he nailed to 

 trees or stakes in conspicuous places. 



The natives are beginning to realize that the birds are to be protected, 

 and that the wardens are fearless men who are not to be trifled with. 



The Bradleys have the reputation of being the best rifle shots in that 

 vicinity and they would not hesitate to shoot when necessary. The 

 Bradleys and Burton together would be more than a match for any party 

 they are likely to meet. 



A power launch of light draft would aid them materially in moving 

 about quickly, as many days are wasted in trying to beat through the 

 narrow channels in a sail boat. 



We sincerely hope that no efforts will be spared to thoroughly protect 

 these rapidly diminishing colonies of interesting water birds, some of 

 which are not to be found elsewhere within the limits of the United States. 

 Very truly yours, 



A. C. Bent. 

 Herbert K. Job. 



