168 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[July 29, 1911. 
to enforce in a practical and efficient manner. 
From time immemorial the coastal plain of 
Southern Louisiana has been the winter resting 
and feeding grounds for the Northern breeding 
waterfowl, and upon this plain an intense con¬ 
gestion of these birds annually occurs. 
The section selected for the State game refuge 
comprises probably the most valuable tract in 
the State of Louisiana for the purpose, due to 
the great area of fresh water ponds and marsh 
meadows upon which an abundant natural food 
supply grows. The ridges of shell and sand 
along its shores are the breeding grounds of 
large numbers of diamondback terrapin. It con¬ 
tains several miles of gravel beaches where 
countless thousands of wild geese get their daily 
supply of gravel during the winter season. Its 
oyster bottoms are considered among the very 
finest in the State and the quality of its oysters 
is not surpassed by those taken in any other 
locality. Its bay front, bayous and brackish 
ponds teem with food fish. The larger species 
of shrimp or prawn visit its shores in immense 
numbers. The ponds lying within its borders 
comprise extensive feeding grounds for the can- 
vasback, redhead, mallard, blackduck and various 
species of wild geese that exist in this section, 
while its bay front forms an unlimited winter 
feeding ground for the green and blue-winged 
teal, and its entire surface of marsh lands is 
inhabited by furred animals. The succulent 
grasses afford feeding grounds for the Virginia 
deer. Taking it all in all no similar tract of 
land that has yet come under my observation 
affords such favorable feeding and resting 
grounds for so wide a variety of wildfowl, ani¬ 
mal and sea life. Snipe, plover and shore birds 
find refuge within its borders. It can be easily 
policed at a minimum cost. 
The second or southwest refuge set aside for 
ourselves, while being scarcely less valuable as 
a wildfowl preserve, does not contain such an 
extensive variety of birds, but wild geese and 
ducks, snipe and shore birds find it favorable 
for their existence. 
Mr. Mcllhenny and I intend to maintain a 
game preserve upon which little killing will be 
allowed. We also contemplate extending and 
amplifying the successful experiment that has 
been carried on by Mr. Mcllhenny for the past 
fifteen years in stocking, naturalizing and breed¬ 
ing wild birds in what is known as the Mc¬ 
llhenny heronry, located within a few hundred 
feet of Mr. Mcllhenny’s residence upon Avery 
Island, where beginning with a few pairs of 
snowy herons he succeeded in breeding not less 
than 50,000 pairs of herons of various species. 
In addition to herons, gallinules, ducks, snake 
birds, bitterns and other birds bring forth their 
young each year in the same heronry. 
We believe we can successfully repeat this ex¬ 
periment upon our Vermilion Bay preserve and 
finally reintroduce in quantity many species of 
ducks, geese (not now breeding in this locality), 
herons, the roseate spoonbills, sandhill cranes and 
possibly whooping cranes, all of which were once 
abundant along the entire Louisiana coast.. This 
is made possibly for two reasons: 
First—Immense quantities of lands once the 
breeding and feeding grounds of the wildfowl 
have been improved and occupied for agricul¬ 
tural purposes throughout the middle section of 
the continent, the wildfowl are now obliged to 
remain in their Southern winter retreat until 
such time as their Northern breeding grounds 
are freed from ice and snow and a sufficient food 
supply is available during the breeding season, 
consequently they remain in the South a longer 
THE NEW LOUISIANA WILDFOWL REFUGES. 
These three reserves, given to the State by Messrs. Ward and Mcllhenny, are indicated by heavy black outlines. 
