Show Bird Breeding Place Menaced I i i Most Remarkable Refuge in the World in Danger From Hunters MANY RARE SPECIES THERE THESE Bird Reservation Is Under Control lof of f the Department of Agriculture Protecting the Birds There Is I Pr Precarious carlous Business Washington Sticking out In the Pacific ocean DOO miles b beyond ond Hono Honolulu Hono Hono- hu lulu Ll Is a group of ot little Islands the largest not more than two square miles mUes In area and rind several of them thern barely rising above the waves mye at high tide Yet on those Islands are many l hundreds of ot thousands of birds and among them are at least east six species 1 I i ii 4 YR w D i r A t Lu n Ei I t I wY w y ys vp w w Y w. w 4 vu tW w l. l Albatross Albatross' Wi Wings gs Piled rl in in Old Guano Shed I Islands Evidence A n of the Extent nt to Which Poachers Have Killed These Birds The Wings Stored Here Were Evidently Intended for Shipping but Never Had Been Cu Cured red not found anywhere else In the world In u lOll 1011 one of those species was represented represented rep- rep resented b by six birds birds all all that were left eft as the sole sola means of perpetuating the he species and they concentrated on ona ona ona a single little lIttfe Island w where one man might kill kUl them all In one minutes minute's shooting hooting That species the specIes the La san teal teal has has fortunately Increased until th there re are arc b by j l estimate thirty five Individuals For the United States department of agriculture for fora a a few years has con- con tr the Islands as a bird reserva- reserva the tIon-the lon the Hawaiian Islands reservation It I Is called But protecting the birds these there Is a precarious business The possibility has existed always that one oner or r more of the rare species might be wiped out ut It n fay cJ y Albatross D Destroyers Arrested By wa way of Illustration this One day In 1909 1000 the crew o of the cutter Thetis found an old shed absolutely piled full of albatross wings A search revealed the fact that 23 plume hunters hunters hunters hunt hunt- ers had landed on island and had killed at least birds The Themen Themen Themen men were captured taken token to Honolulu Honolu u and formally arrested Since that time there Is not known to have been any repetition of such depredations hut but It is alwa always s 's Imminent Just now many fishermen largely fishermen largely nationals of countries other than the United States States are are extend extending rig their operations operations operations op op- op- op from Honolulu out to the region region region re re- re- re gion of the bird reservation Landings on the Islands are rire constantly Imminent nent vent and such landings would be a menace ce to one one- of the most remarkable breeding bird places In the world The bureau of biological survey having direct ct charge of the reserva reservation Is JS calling attention to the thc fact that disturbing disturbing dis dis- dis the birds on or any of the smaller maller Islands Is forbidden and announcing that the reservation will willbe willbe be protected by whatever means are necessary for the benefit of all aJl the peoples of ot the world the largest of the group Is Isone Isone isone one one of the most westerly of the HawaIian Hawaiian Hawaiian Ha Ha- Islands It has an area of about two square miles and within It conforming conforming conforming con con- forming forming- generally to the coast line Is Isa Isa isa a large larg lagoon This Island is one of the most populous breeding bird places on the globe Iobe literally hundreds ds of thousands thom of birds resorting there to tolay tolay tolay lay their eggs every year Specialists of ot the biological survey call attention to the fact that the ostensible occupation of fishermen does not mean that men may not be bevery bevery bevery very destructive to birds The great auk aule they recall was exterminated by fishermen The rarest of ot all nIl the species that exist only In the group Is a n like duck-like bird excellent for f food od and therefore most like likely I to be shot by fishermen Rare Birds on orn Island a. a The rhe species that nest there and nowhere nowhere nowhere no no- where else are the teal the little rail the honey honey- ent eater r the finch the miller bird birda a n small warbler the naw Hawaiian nn tern and the albatross Other species species cies that nest principally on and adjacent nt Islands s and would be beIn bein bein in danger of e extermination If molested there are the the tailed red-tailed tropic bird the footed black-footed the gray gray- hacked backed tern and the sooty tern The number of Individuals of the exclusive ex ex- elusive e species In to 1911 1011 were estimated to be he Six of ot the La san teal perhaps of the miller bird of the honey enter 2000 of the rail mil 2700 of the finch and of the albatross Indications are that while the teal has increased the other species have haye probably decreased The islands composing the reservation reservation reserva reserva- tion are La san Island Ocean or Cure island Pearl and Hermes reef ski or Pell Pell- Island Mary reef Dowsett reef Gardiner island Two Brothers r reef ef French Frigate shoal Necker Island Frost shoal and Bird Island |