Evening star., 1933-10-31
Smithsonian Curator Urges
Action on Mount Ver-
non Boulevard.
CONTINUATION OF BAN
ON FISHERMEN SOUGHT
DR.. Paul Bartsch Enlists Assist.
anee of Cammerer in Fight
to Save Sanctuary.

Additional parking space along the
Mount Vernon Memorial Highway to
give bird lovers better opportunities to
see wild life are being requested of
the park authorities by DR.. Paul
Bartsch, curator Of molluskS and CEN
ozoic invertebrates of the New National
Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
DR.. Bartsch today made public letters
he has written to Arno B. Cammerer,
director of National Parks, Buildings
and Reservations. Interior Department,
protesting against fishermen at Reaches
Run frightening away the bird popu-
lation. Mr.. Cammerer asserted that
he shared the views of DR.. Bartsch.
concerning the fishermen and favors a
continuation of the ban on fishing at
Reaches Run
DR.. BartSch would have the wild life
protected against fishermen at Four
Mile Run and at Little Hunting Creek,
contending that the Mount Vernon
Highway is the best bird sanctuary
IN the East" Upon orders from the
Park Police are prohibiting fishing at
Reaches Run.
Text Of Bartsch's Letter.
DR.. Bartschs letter, written last Fri
day, reads:
In regard to the fishing privileges
for our citizens at Reaches Run, and
probably this should include also Four
Mile Run and the Little Hunting Creek.
l may say that it is my firm belief
that the presence of fishermen in these
reaches VIII have an unsatisfactory ef-
feet upon the bird population, particu-
larly such species as our herons. which
are very largely day feeders.
The American egret, little blue heron.
and the snowy egret are day feeders,
going 10 roost in trees at sunset or a
little before. This also holds good of
the great blue heron. the least bittern
and some of our other stragglers He'll
divers, the Florida gallinule and the
king rail, which also frequent these
stretches, are likewise very sensitive to
the presence Of walking human beings
The passing of automobiles apparently
does not in the least disturb them, nor
does the presence Of persons in parked
automobiles, but the moment that one
begins to move around these birds are
at once on the alert and leave the i'm
| mediate environs of man, evidently
having learned by sad experience that
herons that are night feeders are our
common black crowned night heron
and the occasional yellow crowned
heron
There were 81 of the white herons
present at one time this past Sum-
mer at the mouth of Four-Mile Run,
and while I did not actually count
the number at the mouth of Reaches
Run I am inclined to believe that
there were even more but the territory
IS considerably more extended and
therefore did not make the extreme
appeal to me that the others did.
In the Fall and Spring and in open
Winter Reaches Run and also the other
places are frequented by herring gulls,
ring billed gulls and bonaparte gulls in
great numbers, and at that time they
become real show place, just as herons
do in the heron season, and give Joy
and pleasure to thousands of people. and
l think it would be a pity to rob the
many passers-by of the joy that comes
with this concentration merely to grant
q small number Of anglers the favor
winch they desire, / used TO be A verv
ardent fisherman. and at heart still am,
but time does not permit me to indulge
In the pastime, so the statement of
mine should not be looked upon as one
of prejudice, but merely one intended
to share proper balance. think that
the birds give a far bigger return to
the thousands and thousands of passers-
by than the occasional tug at the line
by fish gives to the few, and for
this reason I would give precedence to
the birds and close these places to the
anglers"
Supplemental Letter.
Dr. Bartsch. who Is a professor at
George Washington University, today
wrote this supplemental letter to Mr.,
Cammerer.
since writing my letter on October
~. had occasion Sunday to run over
the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
and thus got an additional outlook upon
the problem covered in the former let
ter. At the mouth of Reaches Run and
the lake to the north of it found fish,
ermen scattered along both the east and
west banks; In other words, at more
or less regular intervals around the en-
tire basin and not a single gull, duck
or heron were present
In contrast to this the embankment
OF -Four Mile Run on the west side of
the boulevard had more than 200 gulls.
herring gulls. ring billed gulls and
DOneparte gulls; also great blue heron,
| flock of pintail ducks both the mall
lard and black mallard in numbers.
teals. lesser scaup, an essemblage of
ducks amounting to several hundred
being present
There were also bunch Of killdeer
ploVers and some other waders which
l was unable to positively identify with
my eighth power glass
7 am sure that were the fishermen
also to lay claim to this strength that
the same lack of bird life would be
manifested that found at the mouth