The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1907-11-16
GOVERNMENT PROTECTS
THE BIRDS OF THE SEA
Nev Reservation Created at Mouth of Mississippi
Where Sea Gulzs May Raise Broods in Peace

There may be few bears in South
ern and Western wilds who are not
on friendly terms with President
Roosevelt, and several wild turkeys
are hidden in the woods of Virginia
glad to have escaped the honor of
meeting the chief executive.
But with the birds Of the sea it is
different. The president has declared
himself protector of the feathered
fleets of the salt air and he is doing
all in his power to prevent the ruth
less determination of species Of
life which is one of the chief charms
of the ocean.
Many a transatlantic voyager has
leaned comfortably on the rail of a
liner on a sunny day and watched the
strong-winged gulls sailing gracefully
above and about him. He has watch
ed them many hundreds of miles from
shore, their white and gray plumage
shimmering in the sunlight as they
followed the ship or sank down upon
the blue waters, and their every move
ment seemed to suggest power and
self-reliance.
Yet though they appear more than
able to take care of themselves, they
need a guardian and the president has
accepted the task.
Almost as numerous as the fish in
the sea, these birds were found not
many years ago breeding in every
nook and sandy inlet all along the At
lantic coast. They swarmed over the
beaches, they perched on the cliffs and
they sailed in thousands and tens Of
thousands along the shore.
But wherever they congregated the
man with the gun went, too. There
were no state regulations to guard the
birds as they were a non-game varie-
ty; and, too, being denizens of the
deep like sailors, landsmen's laws
gave them small recognition. Behind
the man with the gun was dame fash
Ion who needed wings and quilts for
various hats, and while the hunter
slaughtered the pretty creatures, the
egg collector robbed every nest he
could find. If
The raid on the birds soon had it's
effect and presently there was an ap-
preciable decrease in the vast mum.
bers seen along the beaches. They
sought out secluded spots and finally
most of them quit the mainland for
barren islands off the shore. This was
especially noticeable on the Southern
coast, where, off Louisiana and Flori-
'da, the gulls appropriated hundreds of
sandy keys and tried to raise their
families in peace and quiet. But the
quill hunter and the egg destroyer
followed and things looked still worse
for the refugees.
This was where the Audubon socie-
ty, the national protector and friend
of all birds, stepped in, did splendid
piece of work on it's own account and
then interested the federal govern
ment. This society went into the leg
islatures of the various states on the
Atlantic coast and put through a
number Of protection bills; then it set
about to purchase the barren island
homes of the sea birds and set them
apart for reservations. Keepers were
placed on the islands and every pos
'sible precaution was taken to prevent
further slaughter.
The society finally got the govern
ment interested in it's work and sue
'ceeded two years ago in having set
apart as a national bird reservation
two groups of small islands off the
coast of Florida and one group off
the Louisiana coast at the mouth of
the Mississippi river. #.E
1t is to the latter reservation that
President Roosevelt has just added
another preserve adjoining the origi-
nal Breton reservation as it is called.
BY executive order, just issued, the
Tern island reservation, which COM
prises the Mud Jumps" at the mouth
of the Mississippi, has been set apart