Correspondence. 99 



Correspondence 



Madison, Wis., April 30, 1913. 

 Dear Friend : — If you are interested in birds and desire to have 

 your name included on our mailing list for future circular letters 

 concerning the conservation of birds or appeals for advice with 

 regard to same, will you kindly drop me a card? 



1. Thanks to the cooperation of Professor I. N. Mitchell's ob- 

 servers as listed in the 1912 Arbor and Bird Day Annual, the Wis- 

 consin Conservation Commission, Doctor T. S. Palmer, et al. of 

 the U. S. Biological Survey, obtained January 9, 1913, President 

 Taft's signature to an Executive Order creating Gravel Island Res- 

 ervation, Wis. This includes Gravel and Spider Islands. An officer 

 of the National Association of Audubon Societies anticipated us 

 by getting an Executive Order, February 21, 1912, to create the 

 Green Bay Reserve, otherwise known as Hog Island. About four- 

 teen acres of unsurveyed islands are now permanent Federal re- 

 serves, breeding gulls and terns. Wisconsin still lacks state res- 

 ervations. $150 will buy a gull rookery. Gull Island, edge of the 

 Apostle Islands, Lake Superior, and $2000 will buy North Straw- 

 berry Island, opposite the state park in Door County. Wtio can 

 help? 



2. What other colonial birds are worthy of state protection? 

 W^here? Who owns land? The Biological Survey asks where black 

 terns breed, but no information as to owner of such lands is at 

 hand. What further legislation for Wisconsin? Are you ready 

 for the question to remove all shore birds (Limicolce) and hen-like 

 birds (Phasianidce) , at least the Bob-white and Prairie Hen, to 

 the non-game list because of greater value to agricultural inter- 

 ests. Bills for wild game propagation or conservation are faring 

 poorly at the legislature for lack of popular interest. If you don't 

 want such bills, what seems to you better? The Biological Sur- 

 vey did work in Wisconsin last year so that in future more local 

 information should be had. The Agricultural Appropriation Bill 

 at Washington passed both Houses of Congress the month past 

 and with it the migratory bird bill attached as a rider, now a law 

 since March 9. Get a free copy through the U. S. Biol. Surv. This 

 law means stopping of the southern slaughter of robins and smaller 

 birds, we sincerely hope. It will probably prevent spring shooting 

 in all states, although I have no authority for saying so. 



3. Wisconsin was first to prohibit shooting for millinery (1887), 

 among the first three to have salaried wardens (1887), of the first 

 seven to prohibit spring shooting (1887), of the first eight to adopt 

 the model law for protecting non-game birds (1901), of the first 



