Vol: XIV 

 1915 



] From Magazines, 6-fi 223 



raids of Indians, who annually sell Gulls' wings in the towns of 

 Nova Scotia. In addition to those watching the Maine colonies, 

 the Association's line of wardens extends southward along the 

 coast, stationed at various places in Massachusetts, New York, 

 and New Jersey. Three others are stationed in Florida, and two 

 in Louisiana. These latter are employed jointly with the Govern- 

 ment to guard some of the Federal bird-reservations of that 

 southern territory. Colonies of birds at various points inland, 

 notably on Moosehead Lake, Maine, and in Lake Michigan, are 

 protected in like manner. ... In the fourteen colonies of 

 Herring Gulls protected during the past summer, it is estimated 

 that there were 59,420 adult birds inhabiting the islands ; in the 

 eleven colonies of Common and Arctic Terns, 50,240 ; and in five 

 colonies of Black Guillemots, 1,540. Among the other more 

 numerous species we may mention Least Terns, 9,550 ; Forster's 

 Terns, 5,225 ; Royal Terns, 17,500 ; Cabot's Terns, 3,800 ; Clapper 

 Rails, 5,000 ; Pufftns, 600 ; Eider Ducks, 100 ; Leach's Petrels, 

 5,000 ; Laughing Gulls, 118,400 ; Mergansers, 200 ; Pelicans, 

 4,500 ; Ospreys, 200 ; Louisiana Herons, 25,700 ; Black-crowned 

 Night-Herons, 3,000 ; and Black Skimmers, 15,500, in addition 

 to large numbers of Willets, Caspian Terns, Spotted Sandpipers, 

 and Wilson's Plovers. The enumeration above does not include, 

 of course, many thousands of land-birds, which, in these isolated 

 spots, are apparently in no special danger of human disturbance ; 

 nor does it include the tens of thousands of Wild Ducks that in 

 certain seasons of the year are found on some of the guarded 

 reservations. 



" Quite aside from this general warden work is our special effort 

 for the protection of Egrets, on behalf of which sixteen guards 

 were employed during the past spring and summer. These 

 colonies are situated in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. 

 Egrets to-day are not sufficiently abundant to cause much 

 embarrassment in determining the numbers that inhabit any 

 particular colony ; especially has this been the case with those 

 rookeries in Florida which have been personally visited by 

 Oscar E. Baynard, our Supervising Warden for that State, 

 During the past summer, Mr. Baynard spent many days struggling 

 through these rookeries to count the occupied nests, and in doing 

 so he was often forced to wade waist-deep in water infested with 

 moccasins, alligators, and innumerable unpleasant insects, as the 

 secretary can testify', after having accompanied him on one of 

 these expeditions. In the eleven colonies of large Egrets pro- 

 tected, and carefully counted, we believe there were about 5,100 

 birds ; while the count of Snowy Egrets, in thirteen colonies, was 

 2,375- With few exceptions. Egrets were found in rookeries 

 inhabited by numerous other wading birds. Counts and estimates 

 of these show Black-crowned Night-Herons, 1,055 ; Louisiana 

 Herons, 6,200 (in addition to those being cared for by the general 

 warden force, above referred to) ; Ward's Herons, 1,000 ; Green 

 Herons, 800 ; Least Bitterns, 700 ; Water Turkeys, 2,922 ; Purple 



