FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Jan. 23, 1909. 
136 
bluefish, weakfish, mullet and other fish also 
abound. 
The climate from autumn to spring' is delight¬ 
ful and equable, the region being practically be¬ 
low frost line, Summers are hot, but never 
unhealthful. Members of the organization, ac¬ 
cording to the plan, will be free to stay upon the 
island for their vacationings as they may wish 
and enjoy all its advantages and have unique 
opportunities in observing under the best con¬ 
ditions obtainable in America a teeming bird 
life, much of it of the types of birds ordinarily 
scarce and difficult to observe and know at the 
present time. The island is very accessible, 
being only about five or six miles off Gulfport 
and Pass Christian, Mississippi. These points 
are on the direct line between New York and 
New Orleans, via Atlanta and Mobile, a day and 
a half from New York, and all express trains 
stop. About an hour’s run in a power boat 
brings one to Cat Island. Accommodations for 
visiting members would be prepared as rapidly 
as feasible, without attempt at style or luxury. 
The National Association of Audubon Societies 
would have the oversight of the protecting of 
birds and keeping off possible depredation from 
the property. The enterprise would be person¬ 
ally managed by Frank M. Miller and myself. 
Mr. Miller is president of the Fish and Game 
Commission of Louisiana and of the Louisiana 
Audubon Society, the prime mover in securing 
protection for this group of islands—an ideal 
man for this enterprise. For myself I am known 
by my writings, photographs and lectures about 
birds and bird protection. 
After careful consideration of plans to acquire 
Cat Island, we having first secured an option on 
the property despite the efforts of various in¬ 
terests to head us off and acquire it, three well- 
known nature lovers and sportsmen in Boston 
have offered to give each of them $1,000; pro¬ 
vided, the island can be purchased and deeded 
over to the National Association of Audubon 
Societies, and other equally reputable men have 
offered, in lesser amounts, nearly as much more 
for the same purpose, making a total proffer of 
from five to six thousand dollars. 
Desiring to arrange this matter in the best 
possible wa}'^, we wish to put before the public 
the following alternative plans, asking all who 
are interested and care to aid to state their 
views to Forest and Stream and mention the 
amounts which they are willing to subscribe 
under the condition or conditions which they 
approve, which will make clearer the wisest 
course. Here, then, are the alternatives at pres¬ 
ent under consideration, it being understood that 
in each case the National Association of Audu¬ 
bon Societies is to be named in the deed to 
prevent possible deflection from the purposes of 
bird protection and conservation: 
I. That the Audubon Society owns the island, 
allows no gun to be fired upon it, so as to work 
out a demonstration of how birds can be tamed 
under absolute protection, but to guarantee to 
all subscribers for one or more $50 shares, full 
rights to use the island as a club, but that the 
subscribers agree that all profits above cost of 
maintenance be used by the Audubon Society 
for its wide work of bird protection in America. 
The dividends on, say $100. would be so small 
as to be immaterial to those who understood the 
project, but the aggregate, converted to bird pro¬ 
tection, might prove very important. 
2. The same, except that properly regulated 
shooting be allowed in November and Decem¬ 
ber. 
3. Both the above, except that the subscribers 
should be allowed to manage the oyster beds as 
a business proposition for themselves, the Audu¬ 
bon Society reserving simply the right to use the 
island for the protection and conservation of 
bird life. ' 
Our option on the property extends for but a 
limited period, and we wish for this and for 
other reasons—such as the desirability of plant- 
ROYAL .\ND CABOT’s TERNS—BRETON ISLAND RESER¬ 
VATION. 
GROUP OF SKIMMERS. 
Note length of wing of one with wings fully extended. 
ing oysters before May if we acquire the prop¬ 
erty—to arrange at the earliest possible moment 
for the closing of the deal. 
So then, let Forest and Stream hear promptly 
from the nature lovers and sportsmen of America 
as to whether this natural bird paradise shall 
be left to the market hunters to devastate, or 
whether they will back up the proposition of 
these generous, broad-minded gentlemen and 
save the island for the conservation of the na¬ 
tional resources, making it the show place of 
America for bird life. Herbert K. Job. 
Lady Richardson Here for a Hunt. 
Among the passengers on the White Star 
liner Adriatic was Lady Constance Stewart 
Richardson, one of the amateur lady champion 
rifle shots of Great Britain. She is on her way 
to Nova Scotia to spend two months hunting 
caribou. She was accompanied by her husband 
and Miss Chaplin, an amateur champion swim¬ 
mer.—Times. 
Juvenile Protectors. 
In his annual report to the supervisors, Walter 
R. Welch, fish, game and fire warden of Santa 
Cruz county, California, says, in part: 
"During the past year, with the assistance of 
the teachers in the public schools of the county, 
I have been able to interest several hundred 
boys between the ages of six and sixteen years 
in the cause of fish, game, song bird and forest 
protection. These boys have become members 
of the California Game and Fish Protective As¬ 
sociation. Each boy has been supplied with a 
suitable membership card, and appropriate but¬ 
ton. 
"On Dec. 3, 1908, I organized the Santa Cruz 
County Fish, Game and Forest Protective Asso¬ 
ciation. This association now has a member¬ 
ship of nearly two hundred.’’ 
During the year Warden Welch posted 2,000 
warning notices and copies of the game and fish 
laws and distributed 5,000 abstracts of these 
laws. He made twenty-four arrests and fines 
totaling $320 were collected. Deer are increas¬ 
ing, although about 100 were killed during the 
open season. 
"Quail nests containing eggs as well as the 
nesting birds themselves,” he says, "have been 
destroyed by wildcats, foxes, coyotes, skunks, 
weasels, ’coons, hawks, shrikes and other preda¬ 
tory animals and birds, with the consequent re¬ 
sult that in the hilly and mountainous districts 
of the countj5 inhabited by these predatory ani¬ 
mals and birds, the supply of small game of 
every variety has suffered to a very marked and 
noticeable degree. 
“During the year several panthers or moun¬ 
tain lions have been seen in this county and 
from personal obseryations I am fully satisfied 
that there are at least six or eight of these ani¬ 
mals within this county. 
“The destruction of small, as well as large 
game, by these predatory animals is very great, 
and beyond estimation and the matter of ex¬ 
terminating these animals and birds which prey 
on our game, as well as on the stock and poultry 
of the farmer both by day and night, is one that 
should receive the attention of the people.” 
Warden Welch distributed 388 cans of trout 
and salmon fry in county streams, the cans con¬ 
taining from 1,000 to 2,000 each. Black bass, 
which were planted in Kelly and Pinto lakes, are 
now furnishing good sport, and salmon are in¬ 
creasing. 
The work being done in Santa Cruz county 
in fostering her natural resources is attracting 
tlie attention of every county in California 'as 
well as the attention of many other States. 
Milford, Conn., Game Association. 
Milford, Conn., Jan. 15 .^—Editor Forest and 
Stream: The gun club connected with the Fish 
and Game Protective Association had their first 
shoot on Christmas day. 
Walter J. Marooney was high gun, breaking 
thirty disks wdthout a miss, making a score 45 
out of 50. The association followed this up on 
New Year’s day with a fox hunt. No foxes 
were killed, but much territory traversed and 
a vast amount of pleasure had in our travels 
through the woods and fields. We started a 
number of partridges, a few gray squirrels and 
quite a number of rabbits. F. S. D. 
