Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-01

or the larger lakes OF the interior.
The importance of these wardens can hardly
be overestimated The least tern, the cabot's
tern, the laughing gull and certain others of
our most beautiful sea-birds were on the very
verge Of extinction when this work began
These by slow degrees have increased in num-
bers until to-day they number many thousands
OF individuals. Even the large herring gull
now found so plentifully in the harbor and
rivers about New York, had become scarce and
would probably not be seen to-day but for this,
work Of protection.
It was soon found, however that despite the
laws and the service OF the wardens immense
numbers of birds were being killed and their
feathers handled by various dealers. The
only way to put an end to this was to abso-
lutely prohibit the sale OF feathers of native
birds. When we began the campaign to stop
this gap we found that real trouble awaited us
There was $15000000 invested in the whole
sale millinery trade in the United States
The second Audubon law, which is to pro-
hibit the sale Of the feathers Of native BIRDS
has been enacted in the following States after
most herculean efforts on the part of our CO.
laborers: Massachusetts, Vermont, New York
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Louisiana Michigan,
Oregon, Ohio, Washington and California II
will thus be seen that our efforts have been
put forth chiefly in the States which contain
large cities that were important distributing
points in the feather traffic
The feathers the sale Of which the milliners
have been most anxious to retain are the
aigrettes. Many Of these have of late come
from South America because the two species
OF white egrets which bear these plumes have
become almost exterminated in the United
States. Formerly colonies Of these birds were
found breeding as far north as New Jersey.
To-day there is none nesting north of South
eastern North Carolina
Every Spring the New York office of the
Audubon Association sends agents into the
southern swamps to guard the remnants OF
these birds, where they accumulate to nest in
their ancestral breeding swamps This kind
OF warden work is necessarily dangerous, for
the men who do It are subjected to many perils
Last Spring in Southern Florida / waded into
a rookery with a warden where the poisonous
water moccasins were so numerous that l
killed thirteen In distance OF not over a hun
dred yards and only slew those as we came
directly upon them.
In addition to these dangers the high price.
offered by the milliners for the feathers of
these protected birds are such an nducement
That many desperate characters are continually
trying to get into the rookeries and shoot the
birds. The wardens. Of necessity, therefore.
go heavily armed Two OF our guards have
been murdered and the colonies they protected
shot out. In at least five other cases the
wardens have had rife battles with plume
hunters before they could drive them away
from the birds. Last Summer about 5000
egrets found protection in the Audubon pro
tected colonies
The new Federal law will not only discour-
age the killing Of birds Of the remote parts OF
the earth, but will have a great effect on stop.
ping the surreptitious slaughter of our native
birds. The people OF America are now thor.
oughly acquainted with the Importance OF
proper protection. and II Congress should for
a moment seriously consider the Webb amend.
ment the bird-lovers of America will rise nm
and register their opposition in such strong
terms that our representatives in Congress.
who are all good politicians, will see that the
bill is never enacted into a law,