The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-01-22
PROTECTING
The BIRDS

Mrs. Russell Sage has bought
Marsh island. Louisiana, at a cost Of
$4,000 for a bird refuge. The island
is on the gulf coast, southwest Of
New Orleans, and is about eighteen
miles long and nine miles wide, and
contains about $4,000 acres. It has
long been q famous winter feeding
ground for ducks and geese and vari-
GUS other migratory birds, and has
been for many years one or the most
popular resorts in the south for mar
ket hunters. Mrs. Sage will place
| control of the island in whatever
hands viii best accomplish her pur-
pose, either the federal government,
the state of Louisiana, or some as
sociation organized for bird protec-
ton.
The matter was brought to Mrs.
Sage's attention by Edward A. Nell
benny of Avery Island, La, who, in
conjunction with Charles Willis Ward
of Michigan, recently gave a $4,000
acre bird refuge on Vermillion bay
to the state of louisiana. Mr.. Ward
then founded the magazine. The IL
Illustrated outdoor World, to further
the work of establishing a chain of
bird refugees across the continent. The
first issue. In April, of this maya
zine contained the announcement of
this plan and the purchase of options
OF Marsh island, as the most import
ant bird refuge in the south, by Mr..
Ward as the first step in he work
planned.
"A careful examination of the island,
with respect to its value as a pre-
serve for wild birds, was made for
Mrs. Sage by George Bird Grinnell.
On his advice and that of others,
she decided to make the entire pur-
chase herself. Until it has been de-
cided under what control the bird
refuge will be placed the title will be
vested with Mr.. McIlhenny, who will
be in charge Of the arrangements to
guard the property during the COM
ing season,
Mrs. Sage's interest in bird preser-
walton is OF long standing. For many
years she has been particularly con-
cerned about the wild birds in Cen
trail park, and more recently she has
contributed through the National AS
sociation of Audubon societies for the
protection of robins and other mi
gratory birds.
The dedication of Marsh island as a
game preserve is one step toward a
il scheme of wild fowl protection by a
chains of bird refugees up the Missis-
sippi valley from the gulf to the
4 great lakes and Canada, along the
course taken by ducks, geese and
other migratory birds in their flight.
to and from their summer and win
ter feeding grounds. An effort is
now being made by those interested
in bird preservation to establish
~sanctuaries for wild birds, like that
of Marsh island, at intervals through
the entire valley, and the gift of Mrs.
Sage is expected to prove a powerful
II stimulus to- this plan. w. T. Horna-
day, director of the New York Zoo
logical garden, calls the purchase of
Marsh island the most important
step for preserving the birds of
North America since David Wilcox
financed the Audubon society. He
said:
"Excepting Currituck sound, Marsh
island is, / think, the most important
winter feeding ground for wild ducks
and geese that exists anywhere in the
south. To it the wild fowl of the
central United States resort in win
ter to find food and shelter when the
northern streams n lakes are locked
fast under ice and food is no longer
obtainahle in them. In the spring
those birds go north in a great fan
shaped flight that reaches all the way
to Manitoba and spreads from Ohio
TO Nebraska. The water birds that
winter on Marsh island are malIards,
ca~nvasbaeks, teal, black duck, blue
geese and snow geese. The other
birds are thousands of herons, Bit
terons, looms. rails and shore birds
of many species.
II think that Marsh island is de-
stined to play az important part in
preserving the unfortunate snowy and
American egrets, the birds that are
cursed by the possession of plumes
that are literally worth their weight
In gold Nowhere in the world may
the white egrets now live in unpro-
n fnnEnd u nnlnnf-CG Tp,.A FL L.. %-rN. rx--
time the egrets of the Avery island
rookefy, founded and protected for
twenty years by MIR. McIlhenny, will
find that Marsh island has been pur-
chased by Mrs. Sage, and is now a
safe haven Of refuge. They will
%colonize that island, and twenty years
from now it will contain 10000 breed
ing pairs. And think how the birds
will multiply in that sanctuary as the
years go by!
Marsh island is a great achieve-
ment. In its purchase and dedica-
ton to the birds Of America, Mrs.
Sage has done a great public serv-
ice. When the friends of the birds
hear of it they will literally thank
God and. take courage.
I'm view of the awful condition of
the remnant Of the birds of North
America, the men and women on
the firing line need all the encourage
menL Iney can GET. only q a
man from Brooklyn whom l never
had seen, asked casually at the end
of q business interview: Tell me
why is it that birds are getting so
fearfully scarce in Prospect park?
There are fewer each year. Now, for
instance etc. I said: How many
birds are there now each year in
Prospect park, in total number. in
comparison with what you saw TWEEN
ty years ago?' Why he exclaimed,
there is not more than one bird to-
day for every fifty that were in Pros
pect park and Greenwood cemetery
twenty years agoi' And so it is all
over the United States.
Every person who knows about the
great annual migration Of birds from
the upper lakes and plains region
down the Mississippi valley to the
gulf viii appreciate the vital necesA
sity for feeding grounds along the
gulf that are protected from gum
mere, Today bird s~anctnaries are
just as necessary as bird food. The
feeding grounds for birds In Louisiana
and the absence Of adequate laws for
the protection of birds have made
this state, until this year.. a veritabie
dark and bloody ground. The sIaught-
er OF wild life has been absolutely
incredible. 1t is 3 matter OF official
record that during twelve months OF
the giIIing season OF 190g-1O the
enormous total OF 4.265, 5S6 game birds
were slaughtered in Louisiana. Nor
does thai tale OF terrible in
clude the robins and other crop pro-
tecting birds that were killed by