Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1920-10-15

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million. bay, known as Avery, island
fhe McIlbennys have d fine Ola home
there on n knoll shaded by great ffSe
oaks, a.. III. Dunn In the. New York
Times quotes Mr.. Mcfihehny In sub
stance as foifows. Regarding mis- 40
years tof effort iih behalD of the pres
seryat ion of birdsnfe. " L. ~ IL ''fN''
L.. Back in 1SSl~. when ] Was LIVING az
now. on, Avery island. ! used TO be IN
( terested In the Birds ana In me plume
skunrefs. e"'whu. ''trsfteiihs 'iAipS their,
long uhwteldy iateeRssaileds luggers.
swouldi come into i he lbay0us,dba decks
of, their, boats, covered with the SKINS
of thousands OF American egrets snow
herons. and other BIRDS or beautiful
pfimage.~ shorh' from the 1bifs9s in the
Iaidstnof 1.-THE breeding. aseason. With
whole nests full of young left TO per- 4
tsb.of hunger and thirst ip the sbroillng
sun, of the Gulf cosnstr AZ grew go,
er. these birds. once so plentiful, be-
gan 10 disappneat,s unfit in 1888 and
1884, determined to- do whatf could
to save the few remaining birds iof
the vast fiocks which once had fed Al
most at the doors Of the homes Of my
family on Avery island. -,
F. .Just below the house, there was a |
wet spot--Nnlow pond-partly dis-.
cred with willow, huttqrwood. s,aa-
more and other watersloving trees End
an abundant growth or marsh grasses
where each year a constantly dec5eas-
ing number OF pairs Of green hssons,
least bitteris. ,coofs and biacHbirds
nested. This marsh increasec TO ..
small lake by means Of daTr since
those days the dams have been In
creased five. times. until now the pool 7
covers IS acres-but 4 am getting !
ahead of the story. 49, ~ y
Hunting through the marshes MUCH |
of the spring ,of 1885 | found two
nests of the snowy heron--where there
had been hundreds of nests ten years
before. The snowy heron, by the wass !
and the American egret9 both supplx.
the fairy plumes known as 'aigrettes
and so much in demand at that time.
when they could be sold legally. for I
womeh's headdress- In each of these I
nests were four young birds. These IL
TOOK ana put m a large cage | had |.
built ut one end of the pond% Soon
thsY. would perch on my shoulder AMI |
eat OUT OF my hand. In November 7
set them free. 'AN n
mex. spring six of the eigilt came
back, Straight as homing pigeons. to
the spot where the cage had been.
One disappeared. and of the I'VE re-
naming, two pair reared eight young.
The 10 left that fall, sand all returned
the next March. Five pairs nested,
raisfng 98-young. ana SO on, year By
year, there has been a markad In
crease, until, today there are at least
$500 pairs-5,O0o birds-of these
snow herons nesting on WILLOW pend.
I believe this is the only pliice In
North America gwhere these herons
aests In, any numbers. though have
recently Shipped 1890 pairs a these
and. OF the Louisiana and little blue
herons TO another wiId-life refuge just
being established In Florida.
". To-day ithene iarc Ialso breeding In
Willow .pend. some 5000 pairN Of lit
tie blue herops, 10o00 pairs of1Ouisi-
ana hefo5hs, 800 palrs of green5herans.
80 PAIRS Of purple gallinules, % pairs
lof Esorssiai gallinuless rs pairs ~ least
.hiffs,ru IN. patra nf r fn praflx a al od IN
n, IN the, course of time. nm cure.
this whole rs miles of gulf cqastlwili
hive become SO completely sanctuary
t6Vhe wild birds that they win be as
tame throughout its 500 squaSe nailes !
as are those In Willow pond"
Smoke Up.
WVybv dn vou caII vour No. lkfUop |