Vol. XXI"! DuTCHER, Report of Com?niiiee on Bird Protection. I 6q 



protection will do for a colony of birds, and is so encouraging to 

 all bird lovers, that it is with pleasure the Committee gives it the 

 widest publicity : 



New Bedford, Mass., Oct. 8, 1903. 

 Mr. George H. Mackay, 

 My Dear Sir : — 



Yours of Sept 30 at hand and noted. 



This has indee'i been an exceptional year for the terns of Penikese. 

 Their number seems to be increasing yearly, and all the people who have 

 had occasion to notice them say, as I do, that they have never seen so 

 many before. Having been disturbed but little during their breeding 

 season the result was an early hatch of great numbers and a very early 

 departure for their southern home. There have been no crippled young 

 thi.s year, as we had no sheep, and we have had to destroy only about 

 half-a-dozen for damaged wings, etc. 



A boatman of this city Avho displayed about a dozen eggs was arrested 

 and fined $20. He probably will not take any more eggs, and it will be a 

 warning to others. 



The writer spends four or five dajs of each week at the island from 

 first of April to last of November, and there is hardly a person lands on 

 the island without his cognizance or permission, and there is no reason 

 why these birds should not increase rapidly. My observation leads me to 

 state that they do increase, and if they were not molested at the south, 

 where I understand they are captured in great numbers for their wings, 

 Penikese would not be large enough for them. I have noticed for the 

 past few years an increasing number nesting on the neighboring islands 

 and on the main land to the north of them. 



Of course one must take some interest in these ci-eatures who visit 30U 

 vearly whether you are willing or not, but I can see that in a few years, 

 vinless we extend our cultivated land, we shall have more of them than we 

 care for; this is in the future, however. 



My notes very carefully taken record the following : 



May 7.- — -Early in the morning, weather cool and hazy with wind very 

 light from the east, the terns arrived in full force. 



May 24. — The first egg was found by the writer. 



June 25. — The first young tern was found. 



July 14. — Some of the young could fly. 



August 4. — The terns commenced to leave in small flocks. 



Sept. 14. — They had deserted us entirely. 



My brother and myself have had a very enjoyable season at the island 

 in spite of the rather unfavorable ^summer weather; now we are having 

 the weather of the year for our pleasure. 



We have had no plover at the island yet, in fact very few shore birds 

 stopped here. 



Yours, with kind regards, 



(Signed) Fredk. A. Homer. 



