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Bird- Lore 



(with its outlying spurs) could be made 

 a complete reservation for wild life, we feel 

 sure that it would be of practical benefit 

 to this section of the country. Or, in other 

 words, the same intelligence used in keep- 

 ing a chicken-coop, applied to the moun- 

 tains and wild game birds, might surprise 

 us all. — Robert B. Braxdegee. 



Bahama News 



"Late in May I found that seabirds' 

 eggs were for sale all about the streets of 

 Xassau, cooked and uncooked for twelve 

 cents a dozen. I was assured by some of 

 the merchants that they were a great lux- 

 ury and to test the truth bought and ate 

 them. They are decidedly inferior to hens' 

 eggs and about two-thirds the size: I 

 suppose they are eaten on every habitable 

 island of the Bahamas. I do not think 

 there will be an opposition to an amend- 

 ment of the present bird law or the inser- 

 tion of a clause prohibiting the sale of or 

 taking of eggs. This will have some effect, 

 necessarily slight, however. When food- 

 stuffs are dearer, many of them at a pre- 

 mium, and the people who gather the eggs 

 can neither read nor write, you will pre- 

 ceive that improvement must be slow. 

 It will call for much missionary effort 

 among the eggers, literature for the better 

 class, etc., to make any impression on the 

 situation. The only way to better condi- 

 tions is to educate the people; this I am 

 trying to do single-handed. If I had a 

 little pecuniary assistance, I could accom- 

 plish a great deal more. 



" By the most fatiguing labor I have 

 succeeded in starting a new and well 

 organized movement for industrial edu- 

 cation. Since March the Governor has 

 had the articles of Association under con- 

 sideration, and I hope to hear by next 

 mail that the Columbus Institute is incor- 

 porated. On this institute almost every- 

 thing depends, the lives of the birds in 

 particular. People who are ignorant and 

 suffering cannot be made to protect any- 

 thing. This school will be a sort of monu- 

 ment to the achievement of Columbus 

 and on this ground I appeal for aid. 



"T am writing this letter hurriedly, that 

 you may know how matters stand. I will 

 give you any further information you may 

 wish. I hope the American people will 

 respond to this call." — Alice M. Boyx- 

 iox. 



Government Aid 



Prior to the present year thousands of 

 Seabirds' eggs were brought from the 

 Bahamas to the Key West market by 

 spongers, turtlers and fishermen. This 

 matter was brought to the attention of 

 the Secretary of the Treasury who directed 

 the Customs Officials at Key West to stop 

 the traffic, as explained by the following 

 letter: 



''Port of Key West, May 29, 1908. 



'Acknowledging the receipt of your 

 letter dated the 25th inst., I beg to say 

 that acting under the instructions of the 

 Honorable Secretary of the Treasury, 

 steps have been taken to prevent the bring- 

 ing into this district eggs of Seabirds from 

 the Bahamas. — Very respectfully, Ramon 

 Alvarez, Special Deputy Collector." 



The Plume Trade 



"The second and third of the year's 

 feather sales were held at the Commercial 

 Sale Rooms on April 14 and June 10. 

 On both occasions there was a numerous 

 attendance of buyers, and 'a good demand' 

 is reported. At the former there were 338 

 packages of 'Osprey,' chiefly East Indian 

 and Rangoon, and 270 Impeyan Pheas- 

 ants. Some 6,800 Birds-of-Paradise were 

 catalogued. Among the notable features 

 of the sale were the great number of Par- 

 rots (8,299 entered by one firm), chiefly 

 Indian paroquets; the Kingfishers (8,920), 

 the Victoria and Coronata Crowned Pig- 

 eons (1937 from one firm, 5,350 by 

 another), and over 15,000 Sooty Terns, 

 the last named having the trade name of 

 'Dominoes.' At the June sale 15, 500 

 Sooty Terns were again catalogued. This 

 no doubt means that some breeding places 

 of the species have been raided and all the 

 birds killed. A number of other species of 

 Tern were also on sale. Kingfishers were 



