70 Bird - Lore 



the suggestion of your secretary, I submit herewith a sketch of the wanton destruction of 

 bird life on these islands, in the belief that it can and will be stopped in the near 

 future. 



During the past few years I have visited practically all of the low coral islands in 

 the North Pacific, and have been appalled at the destruction of the birds on these islands 

 by Japanese ' plume-hunters ' who make a business of visiting not only the bird islands of 

 their own possessions, but those of the United States as well, and killing birds by the 

 hundreds of thousands. 



On Marcus Island, a colony had been at work for six years. In that short time they 

 had wiped out of existence one of the largest Albatross colonies in these waters. So com- 

 plete was their work of destruction that during the year of my visit (1902) they had only 

 secured thirteen specimens of the Albatross! While there I estimated that they had 

 40,000 Tern skins ready for shipment, which was the second boat- load to be shipped 

 that year. 



Most of the sea-birds rear but a single young, a fact which makes their extermination 

 certain if this slaughter is allowed to continue. 



Midway Island at the time of my visit in 1902 was covered with great heaps of 

 Albatross carcasses, which a crew of poachers had left to rot on the ground after the quill 

 feathers had been pulled out of each bird. This mischief was done notwithstanding the 

 fact that the previous year a similar party had been warned off by the United States 

 Steamer ' Iroquois' which visited the island by chance. 



Laysan Island, which fortunately is at present worked for guano, is inhabited by a 

 company of laborers. So far this large and interesting colony has not been molested, 

 although ' bird-skin pirates ' have more than once called there in the hope of finding the 

 island uninhabited. 



The enclosed clipping gives a reliable account of recent depredations on the neigh- 

 boring island of Lisiansky, which is not fifty miles from Laysan. 



I am informed that the other low islands in the chain are similarly scourged. 



The necessity of visiting these islands from time to time has been brought to the 

 attention of various departments of the Government by Mr. E. R. Stackable, Collector of 

 Customs for the Port, in the hope that a much-needed revenue cutter might be perma- 

 nently stationed in these waters. I would not presume here to go over the ground which 

 he has so ably covered in his reports, further than to summarize and say, that such a vessel 

 is needed here — 



ist. To enforce the immigration laws — to prevent aliens from visiting these un- 

 inhabited and unvisited islands as temporary landing places, on the way to the larger 

 islands. 



2d. To enforce the customs laws — prevent smuggling, etc. 



3d. To assist distressed vessels. As life-saving stations, the value of this chain of 

 islands — stretching, as they do, for hundreds of miles along the track of trans-Pacific 

 travel,— cannot be over-estimated when it is known that they will be regularly visited 

 by a relief vessel. 



4th. For the protection of property. Such a vessel would effectually break up the 

 wholesale slaughter of sea-birds which inhabit these islands; a step which must be taken 

 noijj if it is to be at all effective. 



In conclusion, I would therefore again respectfully urge upon your attention the im- 

 portance of the Federal Government maintaining in these waters a revenue cutter which 

 would be regularly stationed at Honolulu under the direction of the Treasury Department 

 and the local Collector of Customs in the usual manner, with its duties so arranged that 

 the vessel would make at least two trips a year to the outlying islands of the region, to 

 enforce the immigration and customs laws; to relieve shipwrecked and marooned seamen, 



