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 President Roosevelt and Bird Protection

Bum—Lotte does not propose to enter the political tieltl. but eﬁective hird protection is so dependent upon proper legislation. particularly federal ltgislatitm. that it seems desirable at this time to reprint two letters written to the Editur of this magazine by the President of the United States when he was Governor of the xlate of New York.

and published. respectively, in our issues for April. t899. antl )une. I900. The letters fallowr—ED.

My dear Air. Clmpnmn :

I need hardly say how heartily I sympathize with the purposes of the Audubon Society. I would like to see all harmless wild things. but espe- cially all birds. protected in every way. I do not understand how any man or woman who really loves nature can fail to try to exert all inﬂuence in support of such objects as those of the Audubon Society.

Spring would not be spring without bird songs, any more than it would be spring without buds and ﬂowers. and I only wish that hesides protecting the songsters. the birds of the grove. the orchard. the garden and the meadow, we could also protect the birds of the seashore and of the wilderness.

The Loon ought to be. and. under wise legislation could be. a feature of every Adirondack lake: Ospreys. as every one knows. can he made the tamest oi the tame. and Terns should be as plentiful along our shores as Swallows around our barns.

A Tanager or a Cardinal makes a point of glowing beauty in the green woods, and the Cardinal among the white snows

When the Bluebirds were so nearly destroyed by the severe winter a few seasons ago. the loss was like the loss of an old friend. or at least like the burning down of a familiar and dearly loved house. How immensely it would add to our forests if only the great Logcotk were srill found among them 1

The destruction of the Wild Pigeon and the Carolina Parotluet has meant a loss as severe as if the Catskills or the Palisades were taken away.