I 70 DuTCHER, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I jan 



Mr. Jno. E. Howland of Vineyard Haven, a true sportsman who 

 takes great interest in the protection of birds, MTites: "We had 

 more Heath Hens on the Island the past fall than in any season 

 for fifteen years past. I was at the South Shore a number of 

 times, and should say unquestionably all gulls that summer with 

 us were more numerous than a year ago. I have never seen more 

 Laughing Gulls about than this year. 



" Regarding the rookery of Night Herons, I am pleased to say 

 that, as far as I know, not a gun was fired or an egg taken. Our 

 club own both sides of this rookery and we hope to purchase this 

 piece; we have about four hundred acres in two plots. The 

 Heath-hen if let alone for a few years will be quite plenty. Quail 

 were more numerous than any season in ten years past." 



Mr. Ralph Hoffmann, a member of the A. O. U. Protection 

 Committee, reports as follows: "The beneficial hawks and owls 

 are still outside the pale. We hope to do something for them this 

 winter. 



" The question of further protection for shore birds is one that 

 has especial interest for the writer of this report. I should like 

 to see the open season for the big birds shortened, and the little 

 birds, including the Least, the Semipalmated, Bonaparte's, Solitary, 

 and Spotted Sandpipers, the two Ring-necks and the Sander- 

 ling, excluded from the list of game birds and protected through- 

 out the year. These confiding birds do not offer sport in the 

 sense in which the more wary birds are said to offer it, and a 

 community that is becoming steadily more interested in living 

 birds can put these birds ^o a better use than as food. I venture 

 to prophesy that it will at some future time seem as strange to us 

 to offer peep in the market as it does now to see sky-larks in the 

 French and Italian markets. 



"Capt. Collins has, as heretofore, seen to it that existing laws 

 for the protection of birds are well enforced." 



Audubon work. — The report of the Society shows continued 

 and successful activity. " Since the last report the Society has 

 gained 346 members, making the total number of persons enrolled 

 5,708. There are now 116 local secretaries, covering 1 17 places. 



"The work of distributing circulars, including a large number 

 of Educational Leaflets, has been carried on as extensively as last 



