30 Report of Committee on Bird Protection. ES 
Jan. 
California, fearing that it would result in their being set upon by 
plume hunters, but I think I have had my trouble for nothing. 
There was a good deal of talk last spring of outfitting one or 
more large schooners here and taking a lot of hunters to the Mex- 
ican coast below San Blas, where lagoons extend for a hundred 
miles or more along the beach and vast rookeries are known to 
exist, but other business came up at that time and the schooners 
did not go; however, they will go as soon as times get dull again. 
‘‘T think it is in the power of the Secretary of the Interior, or 
of Customs, to put a stop to all such work in twenty-four hours. 
There would be little use, I think, in trying to do anything with 
them in a political way, but if the right parties were approached 
personally, z. ¢.. notin their official capacity, it might work, and, 
if so, would do a great deal toward helping us in the United States. 
I shall be interested in hearing what your Committee is doing. ~ 
“‘T think a good plan would be for a Committee of some scientific 
society to prepare a letter, setting forth in strong language the 
damage done to our Herons in Florida, and the fact of these same 
plume hunters being now engaged in similar work in Mexico. I 
think it is now unlawful to take plumes in Florida. If so, that 
would have its good effect, as they like to follow our lead. You 
cannot make it too strong, and by appealing to them in person,— 
the Governors of two or three States,— you would make a strong 
friend of each. If one could be made to stop the work in his 
State, I think by a very little work the rest would be induced to 
follow, and so stop it all over Mexico. Such letter should be 
endorsed by as many scientific societies as possible, which would 
make it very impressive. . . . 
“We have a very good class of farmers in Southern California, 
at least; they object strongly to having Hawks and Owls shot, 
and give them all the protection one could ask. 
“Cold storage doesn’t cut any figure in this State,— all game 
must be disposed of at once and possession, even in cold storage, 
is the same as killing in the close season, even if shipped from 
Mexico. 
“JT think the egg traffic should be stopped, however, at San 
Francisco, especially as it does a great deal of damage to the sea 
fowl. 
