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Bird- Lore 



birds on this reservation and on the adjoin- 

 ing islands owned or leased by the Louisiana 

 Audubon Society indicated a wonderfully 

 successful breedingseason. President Miller, 

 of the Louisiana Society, is now making his 

 annual tour of inspection and, as he has 

 t aken his photographic outfit with him, it is 

 hoped that his report will be illustrated with 

 pictures showing the benefit of faithful war- 

 den protection. 



Mr. Miller reports that "The captain of 

 the Schooner 'Little Annie,' who was ar- 

 rested for egging on one of the Audubon 

 Islands in 1905 was convicted April 23, 

 1906, and was fined #25 and costs or 30 

 days in jail. The news of this conviction 

 will travel all along the coast." 



Bird Key, Tortugas, Florida. — A 

 letter received from Prof. Alfred G. Mayer, 

 Director of the Marine Biological Labora- 

 tory, on the Tortugas, is of so much interest 

 and is so encouraging that extracts from it 

 are given: "June 5, 1906. I have visited 

 Bird Key and talked with youi warden 

 B. E. Roberts, who seems interested in his 

 work, and the protection this year may be 

 considered practically perfect. There are 

 about three times as many birds as in 1898; 

 the Sooty Terns are especially increased in 

 number, although the Noddies have also in- 

 creased. In 1898 there was no efficient pro- 

 tection, and the increase may be safely 

 regarded as being due to the protection of 

 the Audubon Society." — W. D. 



A Justifiable Thrashing.— Miss Boyn- 

 ton, who is doing such good bird work among 

 the children in the Bahama Islands, W. I., 

 writes as follows : 



"I shall be very grateful for the additional 

 sets of Leaflets which you kindly offer to 

 send. I can use almost any number, and, 

 believe, with good results. 



"I have a nest of a Humming-bird which 

 seems to me rather curious. It is made of 

 cotton so evenly wound and so lightly 

 packed that I could not at first accept the 

 statement that it was the work of a bird. 

 The boy who brought it, however, was 

 almost tearful in his recital of the act of 

 another boy, who tore down the branch and 



k///ed the tiny mother and two little birds 

 who were in the nest. He punished the 

 murderer with a thrashing. 



"It seems that the children can be taught 

 loyalty to the birds from this incident, and 

 if the nest will be of any interest to you I 

 am commissioned to forward it." — W. D. 



Cats. — In the April number of 'The 

 Emu' it is reported that the cat question is 

 already a serious problem with bird pro- 

 tectionists in Australia. One of the editors 

 suggests, as a remedy, an annual tax of one 

 shilling for each cat owned. It seems that 

 the abandoned cat is becoming a nuisance 

 everywhere. Some of the keepers of the 

 Lighthouse on Great Duck Island, Maine, 

 which is a noted breeding resort for Gulls 

 and Petrels had some cats which were a 

 serious menace to the young birds. The 

 matter was reported to the Inspector of the 

 First District, T. H. Wilmer, Commander, 

 U. S. N., who issued the following order, 

 which effectually settled the cats at that 

 station : 



"Great Duck Island is a favorite breeding 

 ground for certain classes of birds. The 

 Lighthouse Board is in hearty sympathy 

 with the work of the Audubon Society, and 

 sent a circular to keepers of light-stations 

 making a violation of the state bird and 

 game-laws a cause for dismissal from the 

 Light-house Service. 



" Investigations have shown that cats are 

 one of the greatest causes of destruction of 

 birds. I feel that it is as much a violation of 

 the law to allow your cats to destroy birds 

 and eggs as for you or your children, or 

 others under your control, to do so. 



" You will confer a favor upon me, as well 

 as upon the Society, if you will closely con- 

 fine all cats on the island until after the 

 first of September, or else send them to the 

 main-land." — W. D. 



AN APPEAL 



The Association has a large deficit ; 

 there is urgent need of funds with which to 

 pay its wardens in September; new mem- 

 bers are needed. 



Will you take a personal interest in this 

 matter? — W. D. 



