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ENGLISH NATURALISTS EXPEDITION Lord Percy a Distinguished Soldier Touring the South and South America In a houseboat on the tossing waters of Vermilion Hiiy down close to the Gulf of Mexico might re ¬ cently have boon found Col Lord William 1ercy of Almvick Castle England of the kinds crack regi ¬ ment of grenadiers veteran of the world war and formerly judge advocate of Egypt with glasses field kit and camera studying the habits of Louisi iiim wild life says the TimesPicayune of New Orleans It was for this purpose that Lord Percy stopped off in Louisiana on his way to an extensive exploration trip through western South Africa AfricaWhen When the Alexandria flagship of the conserva ¬ tion fleet came to her moorings in New Orleans there descended the gangplank Commissioner M L Alexander of the State Department of Conservation former Congressman George Shims of Pittsburgh 1a T C Walcott president of the Dtilop Hubber Company naturalist and writer anil Charles Shel ¬ don author and naturalist Washington I c cThe The Alexandria had just completed an clevciiday voyago to Marsh Island Avery Island Grand Chenler and along the coast almost to the Texas line visit ¬ ing all the great refuges of the stale the distin ¬ guished parties aboard being the guests of Commis ¬ sioner Alexander AlexanderThe The trip was made at the suggestion of the Inited States Biological Survey and the observations of those aboard will be made subject matter of a report to Dr K W Nelson director of the United States Piological Survey SurveyS S impressed was Ixird 1ercy who was of the party when it left here with what he saw in southern Louisiana waters that he declined to re ¬ turn with the Alexandria and will spend an addi ¬ tional week in the wilds studying what he ile sribes as the breeding habits of the wildfowl tins being the mating season for some varieties varietiesLord Lord Percy after another week or ten days along the coast will return to New Orleans and then siil for the west coast of South America It is his intent inn to study bird life in Ieru hilt the Argentine on the pampas of Patagonia and on the rock wastes of Terra del Fncgo the island at the extreme tip of the South American continent Lord Percy is especially interested in wild ducks and is a naturalist by instinct instinctWONDERS WONDERS OF THE SOUTHERN WILDS WILDSThe The voyage of the Alexandria covered a distance of about three hundred miles throimh the marshes and along the coast of Louisiana every refuge for wild life in that section being visiUd visiUdLouisiana Louisiana has the most oxtensive and important feeding areas for wildfowl in the Inited States said Mr Walcott 1 was amazed at their extent and the vast colonies of migratory birds they en ¬ tertain During the entire trip I did not hear a single gnu fired which speaks well for the observ ¬ ance of the game law in this state for surely no greater temptation was ever offered to a hunter Everywhere the people showed the utmost good will toward the Department of Conservation whose ef ¬ forts they seem to appreciate This feeling was prevalent even among old market hunters who arc it distinguished for their regard for law The situation here must have been handled with the utmost tact ami the results achieved are most commendable commendableNo No more distinguished party of naturalists has visited Louisiana in decades than that which accom ¬ panied Commissioner Alexander on the trip tripIx Ix rd Percy has had a most interesting career lie is a lawyer by profession but a naturalist by inclination Years ago lur deserted the bar for the wilderness and since that time he has pene ¬ trated to the unusual and little sought places of the globe His home from which he is absent ii great part f the time is at Almvick Castle on the ISivcr Aln in Northumberland a mediaeval fortress tucked away in the northwestern corner of Eng ¬ land 1ord Percy is a brother of the Duke of Northumberland and next in succession to the duke ¬ dom barring the birth of an heir to his brother brotherWhen When war between England and Cermany was tle clared Lord Percy was aboard the Hear off Nome on the Alaskan coast returning from the expedi ¬ tion sent out to rescue the Karlok party under the Arctic explorer Stefansseu A wireless brought him the news of war and he Immediately started home to join his regiment the Grenadiers At the Battle oC Ncuve Chapelle Lord Percy was shut twice in the hip resulting in a slight lameness lamenessAfter After this lie was made judge advocate general of Egypt and had charge of till military affairs in that country Among other things he accompanied General Allenby in his expedition into the heart of Palestine and was with him when he entered Jeru ¬ salem lie is the author of several brochures on wild life and has been a collector of such infor ¬ mation all his life lifeChares Chares Sheldon has always been a conservationist and a naturalist lie is lie man who built and operated the Mexican Central Hallway through Chihuahua and has written much on the wild life of the southern republic He is considered tins greatest living authority on Alaskan sheep and is the author of The Vildness of the Ipper Yukon YukonMr Mr Sheldon spent an entire winter on the bleak slopes of Mt McKiuley in Alaska studying nature at first hand During this period and while he was in Mexico he collected a great number of specimens of fauna which he afterward presented to the tnited States Piological Survey which is known as the Sheldon collection Mr Sheldon lives in Washington is a director of the Piological Sur ¬ vey and a constant student of natural history
