The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-14
Audubon Society and Uncle Sam
Work Together.
Acquire Islands in Gulf and At
lantic for HOming Grounds.
GET SHUTDOWN. ISLAND
Thirty Acre Tract Off Louisiana
Just Secured.
This Place Furnishes Protect
ed Ravens for Wild Fowl.

| New York, Sep .-At prices OF
from two to seven dollars an acre
perpetual homes and breeding grounds
for the wild birds of America are now
being secured by friends of the nation
al bird life. In addition to the twenty
| five islands, in the Gulf of Mexico,
east of the Mississippi; which it now
maintains as an undisturbed haven for
| the native wild fowl. the National AS
| ISOLATION of Audubon Societies has to-
| day completed the purchase of Sun
down Island'' off the Louisiana coast.
| The ceding of this thirty-acre island
tract to the birds as an everlasting
homing spot, it is announced, marks
the beginning of a widespread move
ment among bird lovers in this coun-
try. This. it is hoped, will result in
the eventual acquisition of all the ma
tive haunts in the island and coastal
region of the Atlantic, Pacific and of
the Gulf, where at present the breed
ing flocks are sadly molested and un-
protected.
At the head of the subscription list
toward securing the homes of the ma
tons birds Uncle Sam has already
placed himself with the reservation of
the entire ''mud-lump" region of the
Mississippi's delta and the Shell
Keys somewhat further west. Off
cial orders from President Roosevelt
calling for the setting aside of these
warded to Audubon headquarters in
this city in answer to an earnest
recommendation of this measure
which the association made early in
the summer. With this cordial en-
dorsement and continuation of the
reservation plan by governmental au-
thority, it now remains to complete
the project of establishing an ade-
Quate bird realm, by private purchase
of such islands as are owned by pri-
xrof Il xraf tn
ed from the molestation of human
destroyers.
That a few dollars may secure to all
bird posterity a full acre of home and
breeding ground. carefully patrolled
by Audubon wardens, is an idea that
is appealing to friends of American
wild life all over the country. In sup
port of the general movement the
Audubon workers have already begun
to receive contributions to their funds
for the purpose of retaining these
national bird haunts to their own
once more.
BY the governments reservation of
Shell Keys a multitude of national
wild fowl have already become assured
of the preservation of their homes and
offspring. On this reef, which is COM
posed of oyster shells and extends only
a mile and a half in the waters of
the upper gulf, some 800 brown peliz'
cans, 500 Man-o'-War birds and az
recently observed by an Audubon pa
troll expedition. More than 200 nests
of the terms were also counted on the.
little reef which has row been placed
under careful guard against mar
auders.
In addition to the Shell Keys and
the equally frequented 'mud-lump"
reservations at the MissiSsippis
mouth, which have today come under
the surveillance of the Audubon work.
ers, some 700 acres of island region
have been purchased. or acquired by
the association for the same purpose
east of the rivers delta. Many more
islands, either privately held or un-
discovered. must be bought or held
under perpetual lease, the ornitholo-
gists declare. before the bird life of
this country will be adequately safe
guarded.
1.-THE only hope for the preservation
of the wild birds of our nation lies in
acquiring their home breeding
grounds on the coasts of the United
States and carefully maintaining them
against molestation,' said William
butcher, president of the association
at its headquarters, 141 Broadway, to-
day. Every American should be in
terested in the preservation and ex-
tension of his country's bird life and
no true patriot will care to see a race
of his nations birds die out for lack
of their ancestral homing grounds"