USA > Alabama > History of Alabama and dictionary of Alabama biography, Volume I > Part 27
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Some of the names of early settlers are preserved, including Major John Mahan, James Hill, Noah B. Coker, John and David Ward, father and son, John Allen, and Mat- thew Cox. The Falls of the Cahaba is men- tioned in 1819. This was evidently one of the early points of settlement, and was looked to as the coming town of the new county, since it was believed to be at what was then the head of the possible navigation of the Cahaba River. The city bore the name of Centreville in 1824. An act of December 22nd of that year provided that the sheriff of Bibb County in selling negroes and lands levied upon on the west side of the Cahaba River, should sell them at the "town of Centreville."
The two exceptions to the agricultural con- ditions of the county are the building of the old Brierfield furnace and the cotton factory and mill at Scottsville. The Scottsville fac- tory was built in 1836 by Major David Scott. Near Brierfield the Mahans had a forge in the early days, and during the War the Con- federate rolling mill was operated there. The plant was located on Six Mile Creek.
The later history of the county is inter- linked with the industrial era of the State. Much of its territory is located in the famous Cahaba coal region and the development of the county in the matter of railroad building and coal industry has been notable. The towns of Blocton, West Blocton, Brent, Eoline, Coleanor, Six Mile, Ashby, Belle Ellen, Garn-
sey and Marvel are representative of the newer development of the county.
Agricultural Statistics .- From U. S. Cen- sus, 1910:
Farms and Farmers.
Number of all farms, 2,016.
Color and nativity of farmers: Native white, 1,365.
Foreign-born white, 4. Negro and other nonwhite, 647.
Number of farms, classified by size: Under 3 acres, -. 3 to 9 acres, 68.
10 to 19 acres, 255.
20 to 49 acres, 737.
50 to 99 acres, 396.
100 to 174 acres, 328.
175 to 259 acres, 119.
260 to 499 acres, 79.
500 to 999 acres, 24.
1,000 acres and over, 10.
Land and Farm Area.
Approximate land area, 405,760 acres. Land in farms, 181,213 acres.
Improved land in farms, 64,065 acres.
Woodland in farms, 106,869 acres.
Other unimproved land in farms, 10,279 acres.
Value of Farm Property.
All farm property, $3,175,686. Land, $1,866,781.
Buildings, $643,215.
Implements and machinery, $111,962.
Domestic animals, poultry, and bees, $553,728.
Average values:
All property per farm, $1,575.
Land and buildings per farm, $1,245.
Land per acre, $10.30.
Domestic Animals (Farms and Ranges).
Farms reporting domestic animals, 1,935. Domestic animals, $537,478.
Cattle: total, 7,775; value, $104,158. Dairy cows only, 3,312.
Horses: total, 1,061; value, $106,344.
Mules: total, 2,252; value, $287,617.
Asses and burros: total, 10; value, $1,000.
Swine: total, 12,572; value, $34,890.
Sheep: total, 1,448; value, $1,572.
Goats: total, 2,016; value, $1,897.
Poultry and Bees.
All poultry, 39,485; value, $12,544. Bee colonies, 2,249; value, $3,706.
Farms Operated by Owners.
Number of farms, 980. Per cent of all farms, 48.6.
Land in farms, 124,987 acres.
Improved land in farms, 35,495 acres. Land and buildings, $1,523,057. Farms of owned land only, 843.
Farms of owned and hired land, 137.
Native white owners, 809. Foreign-born white, 2.
Negro and other non-white, 169.
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HISTORY OF ALABAMA
Farms Operated by Tenants.
Number of farms, 1,031. Per cent of all farms, 51.1.
Land in farms, 50,980 acres.
Improved land in farms, 27,447 acres.
Land and buildings, $838,624.
Share tenants, 765.
Share-cash tenants, 16.
Cash tenants, 233. Tenure not specified, 17.
Native white tenants, 551.
Foreign-born white, 2.
Negro and other nonwhite, 478.
Farms Operated by Managers.
Number of farms, 5. Land in farms, 5,246 acres.
Improved land in farms, 1,123 acres. Value of land and buildings, $148,315.
Live Stock Products.
DAIRY PRODUCTS.
Milk: Produced, 755,021; sold, 19,573
gallons. Cream sold, 0 gallons.
Butter fat sold, 0 pounds.
Butter: Produced, 265,723; sold, 35,264 pounds.
Cheese: Produced, 0; sold, 0 pounds.
Dairy products, excluding home use of milk and cream, $61,058.
Sale of dairy products, $10,827.
POULTRY PRODUCTS.
Poultry: Number raised, 76,423; sold
15,357.
Eggs: Produced, 168,278; sold, 59,758
dozens.
Poultry and eggs produced, $47,886. Sale of poultry and eggs, $14,369.
HONEY AND WAX. Honey produced, 20,446 pounds.
Wax produced, 748 pounds.
Value of honey and wax produced, $2,209. WOOL, MOHAIR, AND GOAT HAIR.
Wool, fleeces shorn, 597. Mohair and goat hair, fleeces shorn, 10.
Wool and mohair produced, $515.
Domestic Animals Sold or Slaughtered. Calves-Sold or slaughtered, 254. Other cattle-Sold or slaughtered, 1,479. Horses, mules, and asses and burros-Sold, 143. Swine-Sold or slaughtered, 5,986. Sheep and goats-Sold or slaughtered, 959. Sale of animals, $36,386. Value of animals slaughtered, $61,712.
Value of All Crops.
Total, $1,055,892. Cereals, $261,903. Other grains and seeds, $12,934.
Hay and forage, $40,406. Vegetables, $115,095. Fruits and nuts, $29,497. All other crops, $596,057.
Selected Crops (Acres and Quantity). Cereals: total, 22,588 acres; 276,013 bushels.
Corn, 20,104 acres; 241,639 bushels. Oats, 2,465 acres; 34,269 bushels. Wheat, 16 acres; 95 bushels. Rye, 3 acres; 10 bushels. Kafir corn and milo maize, 0 acres; 0 bushels. Rice, 0 acres; 0 bushels. Other grains:
Dry peas, 835 acres; 4,609 bushels.
Dry edible beans, 0 acres; 0 bushels. Peanuts, 348 acres; 4,080 bushels.
Hay and forage: total, 2,654 acres; 2,791 tons. All tame or cultivated grasses, 1,547 acres; 2,108 tons.
Wild, salt, or prairie grasses, 88 acres; 135 tons.
Grains cut green, 681 acres; 461 tons. Coarse forage, 338 acres; 87 tons. Special crops: Potatoes, 39 acres; 2,605 bushels.
Sweet potatoes and yams, 736 acres; 61,504 bushels. All other vegetables, 727 acres.
Tobacco, 0 acres; 0 pounds. Cotton, 19,068 acres; 6,335 bales.
Cane sugar, 331 acres; 2,931 tons. Sirup made, 34,766 gallons.
Cane-sorghum, 52 acres; 257 tons.
Sirup made, 2,493 gallons.
Fruits and Nuts.
Orchard fruits: total, 34,911 trees; 30,268 bushels.
Apples, 8,451 trees; 6,880 bushels.
Peaches and nectarines, 22,647 trees; 21,305 bushels.
Pears, 2,942 trees; 1,557 bushels.
450
Plums and prunes, 738 trees; bushels. Cherries, 41 trees; 7 bushels.
Quinces, 83 trees; 62 bushels.
Grapes, 3,855 vines; 26,742 pounds.
Tropical fruits: total, 746 trees. Figs, 740 trees; 13,389 pounds. Oranges, 0 trees; 0 boxes.
Small fruits: total, 2 acres, 1,024 quarts. Strawberries, 2 acres, 1,024 quarts.
Nuts: total, 328 trees; 272 pounds. Pecans, 321 trees; 260 pounds.
Labor, Fertilizer and Feed. Labor-Farms reporting, 627. Cash expended, $37,535. Rent and board furnished, $6,751.
Fertilizer-Farms reporting, 1,482. Amount expended, $47,152. Feed-Farms reporting, 608. Amount expended, $21,327. Receipts from sale of feedable crops, $21,495.
Domestic Animals Not on Farms. Inclosures reporting domestic animals, 1,144.
Value of domestic animals, $131,001. Cattle: total. 2,011; value, $38,433. Number of dairy cows, 945. Horses: total, 301; value, $34,430.
Mules and asses and burros: total, 356: value, $48,783.
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HISTORY OF ALABAMA
Swine: total, 3,019; value, $8,538. Sheep and goats: total, 649; value, $817.
Population .- Statistics from decennial pub- lications of the U. S. Bureau of the Census:
White
Negro
Total
1820
2930
746
3676
1830
5113
1193
6306
1840
6256
2028
8284
1850
7097
2872
9969
1860
8027
3867
11894
1870
5061
2408
7469
1880
5887
3600
9487
1890
9080
4744
13824
1900
12285
6213
18498
1910
15081
7710
22791
Post Offices and Towns .- Revised to De- cember 31, 1916, from U. S. Official Postal Guide. Figures indicate the number of rural routes from that office.
Ashby -- 1 Green Pond
Belle Ellen
Hargrove
Blocton-3
Lawley-2
Brent
Marvel
Brierfield
Mertz
Camp Hugh
Piper
Centreville (ch)-5 Randolph-2
Coleanor
Sandy
Cox West Blocton
Eoline
Woodstock-1
Garnsey
Delegates to Constitutional Conventions .-
1819-Littlepage Sims.
1861-James W. Crawford.
1865-Jackson Gardner.
1867-James W. Mahan.
1875-Dr. Edward Hawthorn Moren.
1901-J. F. Thompson; John C. Jones.
Senators .-
1819-20-Littlepage Sims.
1821-2-Charles A. Dennis.
1822-3-Jack Shackelford.
1825-6-D. Sullivan.
1828-9-Thomas Crawford.
1831-2-Joab Lawler.
1832-3-Alexander Hill.
1834-5-David R. Boyd.
1835-6-James Hill.
1837-8-James Hill.
1840-1-Daniel E. Watrous.
1843-4-Daniel E. Watrous. 1847-8-James M. Nabors.
1849-50-Daniel E. Watrous.
1853-4-Jack F. Cocke.
1857-8-Jack F. Cocke.
1861-2-Edward H. Moren.
1865-6-Edward H. Moren. 1868-J. W. Mahan. 1871-2-J. W. Mahan. 1872-3-R. W. Cobb. 1873-R. W. Cobb. 1874-5-R. W. Cobb.
1875-6-R. W. Cobb. 1876-7-A. C. Hargrove.
1878-9-A. C. Hargrove. 1880-1-A. C. Hargrove. 1882-3-A. C. Hargrove. 1884-5-E. H. Moren. 1886-7-W. C. Cross.
1888-9-A. C. Hargrove. 1890-1-W. T. Downey.
1892-3-W. T. Downey.
1894-5-W. F. Hogue.
1896-7-W. F. Hogue.
1898-9-J. G. Moore.
1899 (Spec.)-J. G. Moore.
1900-01-J. G. Moore. 1903-William Francis Hogue.
1907-H. E. Reynolds.
1907 (Spec.)-H. E. Reynolds.
1909 (Spec.)-H. E. Reynolds.
1911-W. J. Vaiden.
1915-W. H. Cooper.
1919-J. Marvin Moore.
Representatives .- 1819-20 -- Jonathan Jones.
1820-1-Gabriel Benson.
1821 ( Called)- Gabriel Benson.
1821-2-Jonathan Jones.
1822-3-Jonathan Jones; John Wallace.
1823-4-Charles A. Dennis; Alexander Hill.
1824-5-Jonathan Jones; Alexander Hill. 1825-6-Jonathan Jones.
1826-7-Jonathan Jones.
1827-8-James B. Clark.
1828-9-James B. Clark; Alexander Hill. 1829-30-James B.
Clark; Jonathan Jones.
1830-1-James B. Clark; David R. Boyd. 1831-2-David R. Boyd; Julius Goodwin. 1832 (Called)-James W. Davis; John E. Summers.
1832-3-James W. Davis; Jobn E. Sum- mers.
1833-4-James W. Davis; John E. Sum- mers.
1834-5-David E. Davis; Hopkins Pratt. 1835-6-David E. Davis; Robert Parker. 1836-7-John Williams; William Christian. 1837 (Called)-John Williams; William Christian.
1837-8 -- James W. Davis; Robert Parker. 1838-9-John E. Summers; L. Kennedy.
1839-40-John Williams; Frederick James. 1840-1-David E. Davis: S. W. Davidson.
1841 ( Called)-David E. Davis; S. W. Davidson.
1841-2-David E. Davis; Ezekiel Henry.
1842-3-Pleasant Hill; Kenneth Morrison.
1843-4-Pleasant Hill; David E. Davis.
1844-5-K. Morrison; B. L. Dufreese.
1845-6-Robert Hill.
1847-8-James W. Davis.
1849-50-O. S. Quinn.
1851-2-James W. Davis.
1853-4-James W. Davis; Charles P. Find- ley.
1855-6-E. H. Bernhard; J. W. Crawford. 1857-8-Robert Parker.
1859-60-S. W. Davidson, jr.
1861 (1st called)-S. W. Davidson, jr.
1861 (2d called)-Henry D. Calhoun.
1861-2-Henry D. Calhoun. 1862 (Called)-Henry D. Calhoun.
1862-3-Henry D. Calhoun.
1863 (Called)-James W. Davis.
1863-4-James W. Davis.
1864 (Called)-James W. Davis.
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HISTORY OF ALABAMA
1864-5-James W. Davis.
1865-6-James W. Davis.
1866-7-James W. Davis.
1868-P. A. Kendrick.
1869-70-P. A. Kendrick.
1870-1-T. J. Smitherman.
1871-2-T. J. Smitherman.
1872-3-J. N. Smith.
1873-J. N. Smith.
1874-5-J. W. Davis.
1875-6-J. W. Davis.
1876-7-J. S. Hansburger.
1878-9-J. D. Cooper.
1880-1-R. C. Caffee.
1882-3-E. H. Moren.
1884-5-I. N. Suttle.
1886-7-James W. Brand.
1888-9-Samuel M. Adams.
1890-1-S. M. Adams.
1892-3-Nelson Fuller.
1894-5-Nelson Fuller.
1896-7-W. W. Lavender.
1898-9-Charles Collier.
1899 (Spec.)-Charles Collier.
1900-01-John T. Wilson.
1903-Jasper Fritz Thompson.
1907-Jerome T. Fuller.
1907 (Spec.)-Jerome T. Fuller.
1909 (Spec.)-Jerome T. Fuller.
1911-W. W. Lavender.
1915-J. B. Davie.
1919-N. E. Stewart.
See Blocton; Brierfield; Cahaba Old Towns; Cahaba River; Cahaba Valley; Cen- treville; Coal; Randolph; West Blocton.
REFERENCES .- Toulmin, Digest (1823), in- dex; Acts, 1824-25, p. 65; 1827-28, pp. 24-28; Brewer, Alabama, p. 135; Berney, Handbook (1892), p. 269, 426-430; Riley, Alabama as it is (1893), p. 124; Northern Alabama (1888), p. 109; Alabama, 1909 (Ala. Dept. of Ag. and Ind., Bulletin 27), p. 77; U. S. Soil Survey (1910), with map; Alabama land book (1916), p. 42; Ala. Official and Statistical Register, 1903-1915, 5 vols .; Ala. Anthropological Society, Hand- book (1910) ; Geol. Survey of Ala., Agricultural features of the State (1883), The Valley re- gions of Alabama, parts 1 and 2 (1896, 1897), and Underground Water resources of Alabama (1907); Armes, Story of coal and iron in Ala- bama (1910) ; Squire, Cahaba coal field (Geol. Survey of Ala., Special report 2, 1890).
BIBLE SOCIETY, ALABAMA. A volun- tary semireligious organization, whose object is "to promote the circulation of the Holy Scriptures in their common version in all ordl- nary ways." Through the efforts of Rev. Dr. Joseph C. Stiles, corresponding secretary of the American Bible Society, the soclety was formed on March 22, 1852, in the Court Street Methodist Episcopal Church at Mont- gomery. At the same time a three-story building, at No. 7 Dexter Avenue, Montgom- ery, was donated by Abner McGehee to the society for a permanent Bible House.
The state society was organized as an auxiliary of the American Bible Society, and was incorporated by act of February 17, 1854. The incorporators were E. A. Holt, Henry W. Hilliard, William L. Yancey, J. H.
Smith, Henry Lucas, Thomas M. Cowles, William B. Bell, Rush Jones, J. Thorington, John Whiting, J. W. Roberts, T. M. Gilmer, jr., Abner McGehee, Benajah S. Bibb, Charles T. Pollard, E. C. Hannon, and W. Poe. It is governed by a board of directors of 12 per- sons, including the president, secretary, and treasurer. A superintendent in charge of the Bible House is appointed by the board.
The work is nonsectarian, and the several Protestant denominations are represented in the board. These are the Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant, and Presbyterian Churches. The officers are a president, five vice-presidents, one from each of the denominations represented, a sec- retary, and a treasurer. Monthly and annual meetings are held. In the Bible House is kept a constant supply of Bibles, Testaments, Psalms and other scriptural literature.
REFERENCE .- Constitution and by-laws, 1896 and 1902; Daily Post, Montgomery, Ala., June 3, 1861; Handbook (1896).
BIBLIOGRAPHY. The first attempt at a complete and exhaustive Alabama bibliog- raphy, in accordance with usually accepted forms for such work, was the "Bibliography of Alabama," compiled by Thomas M. Owen, and published in the Annual Report of the American Historical Association, 1897, pp. 777-1248. The scope and plan of the work, with the difficulties attending it, and some indications as to sources and inspiration are found in the preface, which is here repro- duced.
"The work here presented is an attempt in the widest sense at a complete State bibliog- raphy. An effort has been made to give the titles, arranged alphabetically by authors, of all known publications, whether books, pamphlets, newspaper and magazine sketches where of apparent value, articles printed in the transactions of societies, publications of societies, official documents, maps, etc. It therefore embraces not only the historical and biographical works relating to the State, its institutions, and its public men, but it in- cludes as well the intellectual product of the literary and business life of the State. And yet it is by no means exhaustive, and of many omissions the compiler Is aware.
"Many difficulties have attended the satis- factory preparation of the work. The absence of any approximately complete collection of the material included in the scope of the bibliography has made the compilation slow, tedious, and after all incomplete."
The practice of giving full references and citations to authorities for statements is in a way a later development in history writing. Such a course Is now not only expected but no work would be received with any favor without the listing of authorities. The fur- ther practice of presenting, in a separate chapter, group or section, a bibliography or check list of authorities is now very general.
Conspicuous examples of careful biblio- graphical work in connection with main titles are to be found in Fleming, Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama (1905); Armes,
135
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
History of Coal and Iron in Alabama (1910) ; Hamilton, Colonial Mobile, 2d ed. (1910); Dr. Stephen B. Weeks, History of Public School Education in Alabama (1915).
BIG BEAR CREEK. A creek of north- west Alabama, tributary to the Tennessee River (q. v.), and about 140 miles in length. Its average width and depth are not avail- able. The creek rises in the southeast corner of Franklin County, flows westwardly for about 80 miles to the boundary line between Alabama and Mississippi, and thence north- wardly for about 60 miles, crossing and re- crossing the State line several times, before it unites with the Tennessee River at East- port, Tishomingo County, Miss., about 224 miles above the confluence of the Tennessee and the Ohio. It is not navigable.
Big Bear Creek lies wholly within the territory once occupied by the Chickasaw Indians, and it is likely that there were small towns or villages along its banks, although no records are now immediately available.
The mouth of this creek is one of the fixed points by which the boundaries of the State of Alabama are determined, being a part of the western boundary line, which is de- scribed in the code of 1907, section 83, as follows: "thence up said river [the Tennes- see] to the mouth of Big Bear Creek; thence by a direct line, to the northwest corner of Washington county, in this State as originally formed; thence southerly along the line of the State of Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico."
In 1913 a proposal was made to the Gov- ernment to construct a waterway between the Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers, using, so far as practicable, the channels of Big Bear, Crippled Deer and Mackeys Creeks, to be supplemented by a canal across the divide separating the watersheds of the Tennessee and the Tombigbee. The scheme was investi- gated by War Department engineers who reported adversely upon it. A similar pro- posal was submitted, and a survey, with plan and estimate, made in 1875, but without tangible result.
REFERENCES .- U. S. Chief of Engineers, Re- port on preliminary examination of waterway to connect Tennessee River with Tombigbee River, by way of Big Bear Creek, 1913 (in H. Doc. 218, 63d Cong., 1st sess.); U. S. Chief of Engineers, Annual report, 1875, App. R., pp. 24-30.
BIG SHOAL CREEK INDIAN VILLAGE. An old Creek Indian town, south of Oxford, Calhoun County, on the north side of Big Shoai Creek.
REFERENCE .- Bureau of American Ethnology, Eighteenth Annual Report (1899), pt. 2, map 1.
BILL OF RIGHTS. Under the constitution of Alabama, more strictly a "Declaration of Rights," in which are set forth "the great, general, and essential principles of liberty and free government," and in the several con- stitutions always appearing as article I, imme-
diately following the preamble. This article in the constitution of 1819 has 30 sections; 1861, 30 sections; 1865, 36 sections; 1868, 38 sections; 1875, 39 sections; and 1901, 36 sections. A few of the more important de- velopments and changes only can be given. A full analysis and discussion of its several provisions, in the light of the decisions of the courts and the political history of the State, is impossible because of limitation of space.
Historically considered the practice of in- troducing bills of rights in the constitutions of State governments dates from the Virginia Constitution of 1776. The purpose of the enumeration, or the place of the deciaration, is admirably stated by Judge Henry Goldth- waite in Dorsey's Case, 7 Porter, p. 359:
"I consider the declaration of rights, as the governing and controlling part of the consti- tution; and with reference to this, are all its general provisions to be expounded, and their operation extended or restrained. The dec- laration itself, is nothing more than an enu- meration of certain rights, which are expressly retained and excepted out of the powers granted; but as it was impossible, in the na- ture of things, to provide for every case of exception,-a general declaration was added, that the particular enumeration should not be construed to disparage or deny others re- tained by the people. What those other rights are, which are thus reserved, may be readily ascertained by a recurrence to the preamble to the declaration of rights. The object to be attained by the people, when assembled in convention, was not the formation of a mere government, because such might, and in many cases would be, arbitrary and tyrannical, al- though democratic in its form :- It was to form a government with clearly defined and limited powers, in order that 'the general, great and essential principles of liberty and free government might be recognized and es- tablished.' "
The first section of the bill of rights of the constitution of 1819 declares "That all free- men, when they form a social compact, are equal in rights; and that no man or set of men are entitled to exclusive, separate public emoluments or privileges, but in considera- tion of public services." This was carried for- ward without change to the Constitution of 1861. Of this doctrine Judge Goldthwaite in the case above cited says:
"The first section of the declaration of rights, announces the great principie which is the distinctive feature of our government, and which makes it to differ from all others of ancient or modern times. This is no empty parade of words: it means, and was intended to guarantee to each citizen, all the rights or privileges which any other citizen can enjoy or possess. Thus, every one has the same right to aspire to office, or to pursue any avocation of business or pleasure, which any other can. As this general equality is thus expressly asserted and guaranteed as one of the fundamental rights of each citizen, it would seem to be clear, that the power to destroy this equality must be expressly
136
HISTORY OF ALABAMA
given, or arise by clear implication, or it can have no legal existence."
Further analysis and discussion are hardly necessary to indicate or to emphasize the place of the bill of rights in our constitu- tional system; and reference is made to the constitution itself and to the decisions of the courts thereunder for details.
REFERENCES .- Constitution, 1901, art. 1, and cases cited; In re Dorsey, 7 Porter (Ala.), p. 359 et seq .; Cooley, Constitutional Limitations (1903) ; Tiedeman, Limitation of Police Powers (1900); Bouvier, Law Dictionary (3d rev., 1914), p. 362; United States, Constitution, amendments 1-10; and Mclaughlin and Hart, Cyclopedia of American Government (1914).
BILLINGSLEY. An incorporated town in Autauga County, on the Mobile & Ohio Rail- road, about 25 miles northwest of Mont- gomery, and in the northern part of the county near the Chilton County line. Popu- lation: 1910-256. It was incorporated by the legislature, March 5, 1901, with limits extending one-half mile in each direction from the Mobile & Ohio Railroad depot.
REFERENCES .- Local Acts, 1900-01, pp. 2546- 2552; Alabama Official and Statistical Register, 1915.
BIRD DAY. A special day set aside for observance each year in the schools, for the purpose of encouraging interest in the bird life of the State. While there may have been the occasional observance of special days here and there in the State prior to 1908. it was not until that year that May 4 was for- mally adopted as bird day in Alabama. This annual celebration was instituted by John H. Wallace, jr., State game and fish commis- sioner. Beginning in 1908. he has compiled, and published annually through the State education department, an attractive bird day book, which is given general distribution for use in the schools of the State. These books now under nine volumes, and constiute a very interesting series. They are filled with poems, prose selections, notes on bird life, economic value of birds, outlines of bird study, descriptions of particular birds, and occasional reference to mammals. May 4 was selected because it was the birthday of John James Audubon, the great naturalist and bird lover.
REFERENCE .- Wallace, Bird day book. 1908- 1916, 9 vols.
BIRD RESERVATION. See Petit Bois Island Bird Reservation.
BIRDS IN ALABAMA. Alabama is sit- uated, except the northeastern corner, in the Austroriparian fauna of the lower Austral zone. Its varied and pleasant topographical and climatic conditions make its entire area attractive to most forms of bird life. Because of the generally mild winters, many birds of the extreme north spend the colder portion of the year within its borders. Practically all of the shore and water birds of eastern North America are to be seen during the
winter months on the Gulf coast. Migration through the State is very general, and the grain fields and the forests furnish abundant food supply at all times.
With the exception of the wild pigeon and the Carolina parakeet, both of which were here formerly in great numbers, none of the native birds has become extinct. The fla- mingo, ivory billed woodpecker, roseate spoonbill, and whooping crane are extirpated in the State.
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