The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-08-09

destruction of so many specimens OF
our birds, and they wished to save
| those which were left. In the first
four years ethese men and women
made it illegal to kill non-game birds
at any season of the year, and an
open season of fixed days for the
game birds. Since then the move
ment has spread fairly rapidly, with
enough life, to help the birds, and
make sure that two or three of the
species threatened with destruction
would become fairly prolific again.
The fight to help the birds gained a
great ally in the late Theodore Roose-
welt, always a lover of the out-of-
doors, and q quick and sympathetic
realizer of the danger facing the
birds-and the country. 1t was while
he was president Of the United States
! that Mr.. Roosevelt set aside the first
federal land used as a preserve and
breeding ground for the birds. This
was a small island in the Indian river
Florida, and it's guardianship was
placed as a duty of the department
of agriculture.
| Since that time the federal bird
! reservations have grown to be more
than 70 in number, scattered through
out the United States, where they will
do the most good. Incidentally, all
our national parks, national cemeter-
les, and lighthouse reservations are
bird sanctuaries BY special treaty
Canada has Joined with the United
States in enforcing bird laws and pro-
viding safety from the huntsman's III
f1e for the birds. This treaty is OF
the greatest value to the migratory
birds who know no boundary in their
wanderings for good and safe nest
ing place: During the course of the
summer millions of birds cross the,
boundary lines" and it would be of
little real value if they were protect
ed in their homes along the Gulf of
/, Mexico during the winter, to be de-
stroyed by the hundreds the minute
they crossed into Canada. Canada
was very prompt to. see the necessity
of the bird laws.
| Until the enforcing laws that pro-
tected the birds it has been estimated
that in North America thousands Of
+, birds were killed yearly for the use
<of milliners alone. Bird wings were
cheap and made a beautiful trimming
for hats. In some instances, as, for
example, the egret, the piumage was
at its best during the mating season,
and the woman with an egret on her
hat proclaimed that somewhere in the
swamps of the South mother bird
had been Killed On her nest, feath ers
torn ftomsheF, and the young birds
left to die. Law, however, has stop
ped this practice, save sin a few in
stances stan " where raiders have managed
to. t plunder as bTd reservation. Most
of the feathered hats. :of today are
trimmed with feathers from the chick,
en- / or Of ostrich, ana II is surprising what:
wonderful eAeets Can abe. concocted
from the wingsSand tail feathers of
our domestic fowl Of course. there
are some wild 1birds killed for their
plumage. Money will buy almost any
thing, and uhsccrrupulous dealers will
pay well for bird wings and tails:
/ However even Se the raids are be-
coming less and less of possibility,
for public: sentiment is voting the
money to see that the reservat atidns ase
properly guarded. The, state of Lou
isiana has passed bill putting aside
a tract of land of = more, than 500
square miles, having a frontage on
the Gulf II AlsxisS OF about z55smiles
and this great domain aa.js.:s* is: ssaessd to
f, Bird life.
But the real sanctuary of the birds
| does not lii. in thesgreat tracts Of land
given and pfosettsa BY athes federal
governments or by such as:owned by
! the Sage and Rockefellersfoundations
It is the safety of the door yard, or
the patch of woods just, beyond the
town, that really help, bird conserva..
! tion.: One. Of the greatest, dangers
comes from the ignorant and alien
j people. 60, -
Even if one has not time to study
the laws, or to roam 'thezfeld protect
ing birds, it is possible to do a great
! work. The mother who instructs her
sons as to the necessity of the birds
will be helping. The growing boy is
thoughtless, and over-active. He may
mot kill more than one bird with "a
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