The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-06-04
.EGRET SITUATION
NOW TREMBLING
IN THE BALANCE
VICE PRESIDENT OF THE AUDI
BON SOCIETY TELLS HOW RE-
LENTLEssLY THE GROWTH is
BEING DIMINISHED.
By HERBERT R. MILLS,

the years of effort and the thousands
of dollars expended by the National
Association of Audubon societies in
behalf of this bird, it has never
seemed so imminently in danger of
determination as at the present time.
News has just come from the Ever
glades that the Alligator Bay, the
most important egret rookery in
Florida, and in the entire. United /
States, has been shot out by plume /
hunters and the rookery burned. Last
year in company with Herbert K. Job,
then state ornithologist of Connect
cut, / cruised from Tampa to Dry
Tortugas visiting all bird rookeries
on the West Coast of Florida be-
tween these points, which of course
represents the most prolific bird sec
ton of the state. In the fifteen rock
cries visited, we found, with an ex-
ception of Alligator Bay, less than
twenty pairs of egrets. At the lat
ter place we found eight hundred
egrets. (''long whites") under the
care of thre Audubon wardens, Mr..
Sam Williams of Marco, and his two
assistants. Due to the vigilance of
these brave men, the birds raised
their young successfully; but this year
the Audubon Association could not
raise the necessary funds ($750,000)
to hire the wardens, and the rookery
that had made such good start last
year was left this year to its inevita-
BILE fate. Capt. B. J. Pacetti, inspector
of government bird reservations,
Ponce Park, Fla, has just returned
from trip around the coast, and he
told me that had been daily expect
ing to hear-that the plume hunters
had shot Alligator Bay and burned
the trees to prevent the birds from
nesting there any more. Their object
in doing this was apparently to drive
the surviving birds to more accessible
places next spring where they could
be more readily killed. How the help
less young Jared during the holocaust
Gilbert Pearson, secretary of the Ma
tional Association of Audubon socie-
ties, that Alligator Bay was gone and
that believed its passing had finally
placed the egret on the downhill road
to extinction. In Mr.. Pearson's reply
dated May 10Th, he said; 81 am very
sorry to learn about the passing of
Alligator Bay, but all is not lost yet,
as we have number of good colonies
being carefully guarded" So there is
still hope. have personal knowledge
of three rookeries representing three
hundred birds, but like Mr.. Pearson,
am not telling the location of these
rookeries. All told do not believe
that there are over a thousand egrets
left in the state of Florida.
The Audubon society has done phe.
nomenal work in stimulating public
h sentiment in favor of wiIc ffe conser,
vaton, but the will of the majority wi
be absolutely ignored as long as the
s. minority insist on using the aigrettt
for personal ornament. This is wher,
well enforced game and bird Law
is necessary. The game department
n established by the legislature of 191;
would have answered every purpos
. in this respect if it had been put int
n effect properly. During the huntin,
season of 1884 there was collecte,
from hunting license fees over $45,
10000 and after all disbursement
:, had been made there was left to tn
credit of the department over $27
10000. Although no further repor
was sent to me (due probably to tn
fact that the game department wa
abolished in 1879 it is probable tina
an equal amount was left to the cred
it of the department in 1915, maxim
= over S50O00.00 all together. In spit
of all this, we could not raise $500
= to protect Alligator Bay this year.
The game department, however, wa
failure due to faulty management
and the legislature of 1915 abolishe
it, and substituted game law pre-
viding for a system of county ware
liens. The game warden provision c
this law was later declared unconst
tutional by our supreme court, an
the protection of our game and bird
has since that time been abandoned
abandoned at a time when one of OF
most valuable species is threatens
with extinction.
Last week a series of question
were submitted by the Audubon soci'
ty to all the candidates for legisl;
ture to determine their attitude t,
ward a bill providing for state gan
department and also toward provi
ion whereby the governor would
given the power TO set aside gan
and bird reservations at certain uno
cupied and useless lands, where bir'
are accustomed to breed.
Replies to these questions are cor
ing in to the Audubon Office with e
erv mail and these, with the full te
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