The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-24
AN APPEAL TO BIRD-LovERs.

This country Ia on the vsrgs Of iosing
forever one of the main features of its
seaooast charms-tbe sea- birds themselves
In fact, the terms, the most exquisite
OF the gull family, and which formerly
thronged our whole coast, have been so
nearly wiped ont BY agents Of the mil
liner that this years. onslaught, already
fully organizsd, will clean almost the
last pair from the few small bresding
colonies which remain, wherever these
ars unprotected. And the large gull,
which are not only very beautiful, but
absolutely essential as harbor scAvengers,
are also being dacimated for the same
purpose.
All thess species, with their exquisite
heauty, their wild voices and their most
romantic lives, peopling o realm which,
without them, would be oppressive In
It's droary grandeur. will reach their
breeding places in q few weeks, and the
rs, especially, are liable to be siaugh-
tered the moment they get there there
fore the promptest action Is necessary, II
we are to fAye even the few pairs of the
latter which could rsstock our deve stated
coast when the evil eye of fashion shalt
have turned to other victims.
Simple economic considerations make
ID matter OF oourfe that ths gulls must
be saved. An immense horde Of them.
which naturaliets think number any
where from q hundred thousand to a mil
lion, gorge twice q day In New YorK
Bay upon garbage. As the hour of the
dump" approaches their no ultitudes fill
the whole air to an immense hsight, over
sn area of several miles, then gradually
settle on these In q vast white sheets.
Tho whistle of the police boat, the signal
to dump" seems to watt them stimuli
taneously into the air, to gather. like
dense snow clouds, over the floating
mssses just emptied from the many
scoWa.
In agine from what an amount of
putTid matter these birds, rs big as hens.
rave the adjacent beaches. not to speak Of
their perpetual cleaning In the actual
harborsi And this Is specimen of
" hat occurs at every port.
And EbsIi this inoalculabls sanitary
iArr it, ard all this beauty, terminate
forever, and for no worthy purposeP
Ii money can be raised, the Committee
Of ths American Ornitholoeists' Union
will guard every breeding place where
there is q law to tack them. as Mr..
Maokay and Mr.. Butcher have done at
Vineyard Sound IslandB and Great Gull
island.
The utmost caution will be used in
choosing wardens, and the Committee
will ba glad to receive names of men es-
pscislly suited for the pest Lighthouse
keepers and Life-SavIny Station captains
will be employed wherever feasible.
A very encouraging rum Is already In
the hands of the COMMITTEE.
The places TO be protected are certain
islands on the coast OF Maine, Long Is
land, New Jersey. Maryland, and perhaps
Virginia and Florida.
In Maine alone there Is need OF all the
money we can possibly get, since there
single wardens are afraid to facs the
rough planners, and some more elaborate
organization Is the only hope.
The American Ornithologis s. Union
therefore appeals to every bitd-lover
for money to be used in hiring warden to
protect the birds while nesting. Contri-
buttons should be sent to Mr.. William
butcher, treasurer OF the Union, at 525
Manhattan avenue, New York city, who
will furnish all desired Information.
Abbott h. Tbayer,
bontSociety.
Witmsr Stone, Chairman A. o. U.
Com. on Bird Protection.
Robert Ridgway, President A. .. U.
q. Hart Merriam. Chief Biological
Survey, Vice-Pres. A. u. u.
A. X. Fisher, Asst. Biologist, U. s.
Bioloaical Survey.
j. A. Allen, Curator Vertebrate Z,o-
osy, Am. Mus. Nat. His.
Frank NJ. Chapman, Asst. Curator
Yer. Zoology, Am. Mus. Nat. His.
William butcher. Treasurer A. o. U.
Scar L orough. N. Y, March IL, 1860.