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Bird - Lore 



"Until a few years ago, thousands of 

 Snowy Herons made this their summer 

 home, but we saw only one bird. The 

 plume-hunters are responsible for the 

 disappearance of this beautiful species; 

 they killed in the summer of 1886 

 enough birds to produce $8,000 worth 

 of plumes. The slaughter was continued 

 in 1887, 1888, and 1889, and as high 

 as $400 a day was realized. When 

 we visited Klamath county in 1905, we 

 thought that the Grebe-skin traffic had 

 been practically stopped; however, we 

 have facts now to show that plume-hunters 

 have been at work continually since, and 

 have been shipping plumage direct to 

 New York. We have questioned many of 

 the old settlers and others as to the abun- 

 dance of water-fowl, and we find them 

 plentiful yet. They count Ducks, Geese, 

 and Swans by acres here, not by numbers, 

 during the migratory period, but it is the 

 unanimous opinion that the numbers do 

 not compare with even six or eight years 

 ago. The birds are going, and there is 

 no question about it. We must have a good, 

 big reserve down here. It will make the 

 most important reserve in the West, and, 

 with Klamath reserve, will equip Oregon 

 and the Pacific coast to preserve the 

 water-fowl." 



The three new reservations just set 

 aside by President Roosevelt will necessi- 

 tate a very large increase in our outlay 

 for wardens' service. For the Key West 

 reservation, it will only be necessary to 

 employ a guard from three to four months, 

 covering the breeding period, unless fur- 

 ther investigation shows that the Keys are 

 used as a bird resort, when the warden 

 would have to be employed for a longer 

 period. At Klamath Lake Reservation, it 

 will be necessary to employ one good man 

 with a first-class power-boat, by the year. 

 To properly guard Malheur Lake Reser- 

 vation will take at least two good men, 

 and possibly three. Lakes Malheur and 

 Harney are so shallow that an ordinary 

 power-boat cannot be used, and the war- 

 dens must depend on row-boats. Mr. 

 Finley suggests that it might be possible 



to use a small stern-wheel boat. One marr 

 cannot guard one hundred and twenty 

 square miles of territory, when he has to 

 depend on a row-boat for transportation. 



These two reservations have been such 

 a mine of wealth, in the past, to plume- 

 hunters and market-shooters that they 

 are . not going to abandon their illegal 

 traffic without a desperate struggle. It 

 will, therefore, be necessary for this Asso- 

 ciation to select not only men of the very 

 highest character and intelligence, but 

 those who have the hardihood to fill the 

 position. Plume-hunters and market- 

 shooters in that section are law-breakers, 

 and, when cornered, rarely hesitate to 

 shoot, even though a human life is the 

 sacrifice. This Association now has an 

 opportunity to create an ideal wild-bird 

 breeding-place, probably the greatest in 

 the United States. To do it, however, is 

 going to entail a large expense, which 

 must be provided for. At the present time, 

 the resources of the Association are strained 

 to the utmost limit, and, therefore, the 

 money to properly guard the new and 

 greatest of our reservations must be fur- 

 nished by new people. 



The sportsmen of the country should 

 consider it a duty as well as a privilege to 

 furnish means to guard these great breed- 

 ing and feeding grounds from market- 

 hunters. The public ought to be interested 

 in the economic as well as the esthetic aspect 

 of the case, and should willingly furnish all 

 the financial support the Association needs. 

 Funds are wanted at once, as the wardens 

 should be on the ground at this time, in 

 order to prevent shooting during the present 

 autumn and the early winter, when the 

 birds are on the southward migration. 

 The question is often asked, "How can 

 I give wisely." No wiser or greater bene- 

 faction can be proposed than to give to 

 this Association a large sum, to be known 

 as the Warden Fund, the interest from 

 which to be used in perpetuity to pay the 

 salaries of the brave men who spend 

 months in loneliness and hardships to 

 guard the birds of our land from ruthless 

 men. — W. D. 



