Hirv-Lore 
A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE 
DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS 
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SocIETIES 
Vol. XII MARCH—APRIL, 1910 No. 2 
President Roosevelt’s List of Birds 
Seen in the White House Grounds and About Washington 
During His Administrationt 
\ J HEN Mr. Richard Kearton, the English ornithologist and author, 
brought his wonderful motion pictures of bird-life to this country, 
he came directly to Washington, and gave his first exhibition at the 
White House to a small company of invited guests. President Roosevelt seemed 
to enjoy the entertainment immensely, and when it was over he congratulated 
Mr. Kearton warmly. Then the two became the center of a distinguished group 
of outdoor men, including Ambassador Bryce, and they talked for an hour on a 
variety of subjects,—beginning with snakes and ending with nature-faking. 
It was when the party was breaking up that I had an opportunity to speak 
with the President, and I asked him if I might make, from a magazine article 
of his, a list of the birds he mentioned having seen about the White House. 
I explained that I wanted it for a new edition of the local bird book, ‘Birds of 
Washington and Vicinity.’ 
“Why yes,” he answered cordially. “But V’ll do better for you than that. 
I'll make you a list of all the birds I can remember having seen since ‘I ‘have 
been here.” 
Then he said I had better remind him, as he might forget it, and he told me 
how to address a note so that it would come directly to him, without risk of 
falling into a secretary’s waste-basket. 
I wrote the reminder, and it shows the President’s characteristic promptness 
that within twenty-four hours after mailing it I received this list of ninety-three 
birds in his own handwriting. 
Where an unusual name is given, I have added another in brackets. What 
a Bush Sparrow was I did not know and could not find out, so I wrote Mr. Roose- 
velt again, but not until after he had left Washington and was at Oyster Bay 
engrossed with preparations for his African trip. I hardly expected a reply, but 
some weeks later received a note from the Outlook office saying the writer had 
“+Copyright, L. W. Maynard. 
