338 Bird - Lore 



of Terns, but an extensive colony of the rare Reddish Egret and the only 

 nesting colony of White Pelicans known to exist in the waters along the Atlantic 

 shores of North America. 



The Association employed about the same number of wardens as last year. 

 These men guarded great colonies of sea-birds situated chiefly along our coast 

 from Maine to the mouth of the Mississippi River. Interiorly they operated 

 also at Moosehead Lake, Maine ; in the Great Lakes ; and at many of the Heron 

 and Egret colonies along the coastal plain of our southern country from central 

 North Carolina to western Louisiana. 



In May your President visited twenty-one colonies of Egrets, Herons, and 

 Ibises in central Florida and was distressed to find that, largely on account of 

 the destructive forces of the Fish Crow, these colonies have much decreased of 

 recent years. 



Little killing of birds for the feather trade has been reported except in 

 Florida, where the bush-whacking of Egrets probably will continue as long as 

 any are to be found in the southern part of the state. There have been some 

 raids by eggers on a few of the sea-bird islands, but the losses from this source 

 have been more than offset by an unusually favorable breeding season, owing 

 to the absence of storms and high tides at the critical nesting-period. 



LEGISLATION 



At the last session of Congress, before the incoming of the present ad- 

 ministration, two bills, intended to exploit the Yellowstone National Park for 

 commercial interests, were introduced in the United States Congress and 

 pushed with great vigor by their supporters. This Association joined with 

 other National organizations in a campaign of opposition. Thousands of 

 letters and telegrams from our members and affiliated organizations throughout 

 the country aided in the defeat of these bills. Members of the Association 

 contributed a fund of over $6,000 with which the expenses for publicity, sending 

 of agents to Washington, and other defensive measures were met. We were 

 also able to contribute financially to the park work of the American Civic 

 Association and the National Parks Association, thus aiding them in the 

 publication of their bulletins of propaganda. 



During the present session of Congress attempts have been made by our 

 enemies to revive these bills. Thus far, however, little progress has been made. 

 In this connection I may draw your attention to the fact that upon the occa- 

 sion of our annual gathering, one year ago, the Association directed by 

 resolution that telegrams be sent to Warren G. Harding and James M. Cox 

 asking of each the question, whether in the event of his being elected President 

 of the United States his policy would be to guard the National Parks and bird 

 reservations against commercial attempts to exploit them, and whether he 

 would favor the enforcement of our treaty with Canada for the protection of 



