﻿The Aububon Societies 



37 



Reservation News 

 The two new bird reservations in Mich- 

 igan, announced in the Annual Report, are 

 now in charge of the head light-keepers on 

 the adjacent islands, which are light-house 

 reservations. Commander Charles E. Fox, 

 U. S. N., Inspector Eleventh Light-House 

 District, issued orders to the respective keep- 

 ers as follows: "Enclosed herewith are cop- 

 ies of an executive order from the President 

 of the United States relative to the unsur- 

 veyed islands of the Siskiwit group of 

 islands and the Huron Islands group, one 

 of which please hand to each of your assist- 

 ants. You are instructed to aid in protect- 

 ing the birds about those islands as far as 

 may be, without interfering with your duties 

 as light-house keeper." In the annual 

 report (p. 300) the announcement was made 

 of an effort to buy an island, located on the 

 Maine coast. The Governor and Council 

 of the state declined to sell the property, as 

 it is their settled policy not to dispose of 

 public lands for any purpose. The state 

 officials, however, recognizing the value of 

 the work of the National Association, gen- 

 erously gave a free lease of Old Man's 

 Island, which is to run as long as the Asso- 

 ciation uses the island for a bird refuge and 

 breeding ground and maintains effective 

 wardenship. This lease has been duly 

 recorded, is being widely advertised, and a 

 warden has been appointed. The Associa- 

 tion has practically established another res- 

 ervation which is a particularly important 

 one, as it is the only place in the United 

 States where the Eider Duck is known to 

 breed. The hearty cooperation of the Gov- 

 ernor and Council of Maine in the work of 

 this Association is very gratifying indeed, 

 as it shows a most intelligent appreciation 

 of the needs of bird protection and, moreover, 

 indicates a high standard of civics. This 

 Association has found it to be invariably 

 true that when matters relating to bird and 

 game protection are removed from politics, 

 as they should always be, the very best 

 results are obtained. 



Millinery and Aigrettes 

 Eastern milliners seem loth to give up the 

 use of aigrettes. Appeals, arguments or 



fear of the law do not restrain them, nor 

 can some women be made to realize the cost, 

 in pain and blood, of the White Heron's 

 plume. Aigrettes are everywhere seen, and 

 it is a wonder to the ornithologists where 

 they all come from, and how much longer 

 the White Herons will last. Infrequently a 

 hat is seen trimmed with Grebe, or the 

 plumage of a Tern or Gull. This all shows 

 that in the vicinity of New York the desire 

 is still strong to sell the plumage of wild 

 birds. It is with sincere pleasure that it can 

 be stated that in the West a very different 

 spirit obtains among the milliners. Our 

 director, Mr. Ruthven Deane, has done a 

 great deal of active personal work with the 

 officers of the Millinery Jobbers' Association 

 of Chicago. He has been so successful, by 

 repeated visits and letters, that some of the 

 largest retail dry-goods establishments in 

 Chicago will not display aigrettes in their 

 show windows, nor sell them. All honor 

 to them for their stand! Mr. Deane took up 

 the matter of the use of bird plumes as mil- 

 linery ornaments with Mr. Frederick Bode, 

 president of the Millinery Jobbers' Associa- 

 tion, with the following result: 



" Dear Sir: At the convention of our 

 Association held in Louisville November 

 9 and 10, after considerable discussion, in 

 which was brought forward the fact that 

 some houses sell aigrettes and others do 

 not, both retail and wholesale, it was finally 

 brought to a focus, and the following reso- 

 lution was adopted : 



" Whereas, We realize that the Audubon 

 Societies of the United States are engaged 

 in the laudable work of preserving from 

 destruction and extinction song-birds and 

 certain other species, upon high moral 

 grounds, and that largely through their 

 influence many of the states have passed 

 restrictive laws on the subject, and, 



"Whereas, There is a decided variation 

 among the states in the subject matter of 

 these laws, and in their interpretation and 

 administration, 



" T herefore, Be it resolved by the Mil- 

 linery Jobbers' Association in convention 

 assembled, 



"First, That we approve of the prohibi- 

 tion of the sale of song-birds, Gulls, Terns, 



