2o8 Conservation Reader 



its home in the most remote and inaccessible jungles, has 

 until recently been safe from the plume hunter. 



Now some of the foremost nations have passed laws for 

 the protection of many of the water and jungle birds, which, 

 unfortunately for themselves, are so beautiful that milady 

 longs to have them for her bonnet. Nearly all the states 

 of our own land offer more or less protection to birds of 

 beautiful plumage. There is, however, much yet to be 

 done, for in parts of our country birds that should be pro- 

 tected are still at the mercy of the plume hunter. 



The Migratory Bird Law recently passed by Congress 

 is one of the most important things which we have ever 

 done for the birds. This law protects the multitude of 

 water birds as well as land birds, that migrate with the 

 changing seasons. It is especially important that aU such 

 birds be protected in the regions where they nest. 



In the case of the water birds the nests are often grouped 

 in colonies in certain places and not scattered singly here 

 and there as with most land birds. Thus when a colony, 

 say of the heron, tern, or flamingo, is found it is very easy 

 for the hunter to break it up and destroy all the birds. 

 Among the water birds the gulls, terns, grebes, herons, 

 egrets, osprey, flamingos, and peUcans have been s6 hunted 

 for their plumes that some of them are almost extinct. 

 Several of these species love the rocky coasts, where their 

 nests are found upon the almost bare ledges of the cliffs. 

 Others establish colonies about the marshy lagoons of the 

 Gulf and South Atlantic coasts and about the marshy shore 

 of the lakes of the interior. 



During recent years many bird refuges have been estab- 

 lished in various parts of the country. Such refuges are 



