Chap. 388.—An ACT to release and transfer to the United States all rights
and authority of the Commonwealth of Virginia, concerning wild life, ex-
cept fish and oysters, within a certain area of 8,950 acres, more or less, in

the county of Princess Anne, subject to certain limitations and reset
. : [S B 252

Approved March 31, 1938

Whereas, the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in him by an act of Con-
gress approved February eighteenth, nineteen hundred and twenty-
nine (45 Stat. 1222), as amended by an act of Congress approved
June fifteenth, nineteen hundred and thirty-five (49 Stat. 378), is
authorized to acquire areas of land and water for use as sanctuaries
for migratory birds and other wild life; and,

Whereas, the Secretary of Agriculture has selected, by and with
the consent of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission of the
United States of America, for the establishment of a bird refuge
and wild life sanctuary, certain land in Back Bay, Princess Anne
County, Virginia; and,

Whereas, the Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries of the
Commonwealth of Virginia has approved the acquisition by the United
States, of the lands hereinafter described, for the establishment of
such bird refuge and wild life sanctuary in conformity with the
statutes hereinabove set forth; and,

Whereas, the Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries of the
Commonwealth of Virginia has recommended that Virginia release
and transfer to the United States all her rights concerning wild life,
except fish and oysters, within said area, and certain waters abutting
thereon and adjacent thereto, in order that the same may be developed
as a migratory waterfowl refuge and wild life sanctuary under abso-
lute Federal supervision and control; Now Therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, as follows:

Section 1. All rights and authority which the Commonwealth of
Virginia may have or possess, concerning wild life, except fish and
oysters, in that certain area of approximately eight thousand, nine
hundred and fifty acres, more or less, of land and water in Back Bay,
in the county of Princess Anne, are hereby released and transferred
to the United States of America, which area will be set aside and
established as a migratory refuge and wild life sanctuary by the
President of the United States, and which is more particularly described
as follows:

“Beginning at corner four of Princess Anne tract thirty-nine-a,
as surveyed by the Bureau of Biological Survey, Department of Ag-
riculture, and being acquired by the United States for migratory bird
refuge purposes;

Thence with the following courses tying to points established by
surveys made by the Bureau of Biological Survey, Department of
Agriculture, defining the limits of the Princess Anne club tracts:

Southeasterly approximately eleven chains to the western extremity
of the peninsula marking the south limits of Head Bay Cove, which
point is in tract thirty-nine-e ;

Southeasterly approximately forty-three chains to the southwest
extremity of tract thirty-nine-n, known as Long Point;

Northeasterly approximately thirty-four chains to the southeast
extremity of tract thirty-nine-m ;

Northeasterly with the meanders of tract thirty-nine-m, twenty-six
and five-tenths chains to a point;
East approximately twenty-three chains to a point on the west
side of tract thirty-nine-y ;

Southeasterly approximately thirty-seven chains to the western ex-
tremity of tract thirty-nine-x ;

Thence southeasterly approximately forty-two chains to Heaven
point of the Ragged Islands;

Thence southwesterly approximately seventy-eight chains to the
western extremity of Haul Over Island near North Point of said
Island ;

Thence southwesterly approximately sixteen chains to the south-
western extremity of Haul Over Island at Rocky Point;

Thence southeasterly approximately one hundred and ninety chains
to South Point of the Ragged Islands;

Thence east twenty-two and seventy-three hundredths chains to a
point in Sand Bay; |

Thence northerly in Sand Bay twenty-two and seventy-three hun-
dredths chains distant easterly from the east side of Ragged Islands
to a point approximately forty-eight chains due west of corner one,
tract thirty-nine, Princess Anne club property, as surveyed by the
Bureau of Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture ;

Thence east to corner one of tract thirty-nine, Princess Anne club
property ;

Thence with the following courses tying to points established by
surveys made by the Bureau of Biological Survey, Department of
Agriculture, defining the limits of the Princess Anne club tracts:

Easterly with the south boundary of said tract thirty-nine to corner
eleven thereof ; |

Northwesterly with the meanders of the Atlantic Coast to corner
seven of said tract thirty-nine;

Westerly with the north line of tract thirty-nine to corner six
thereof ;

Westerly across Deep Creek to corner one of tract thirty-nine-t ;

Southwesterly to corner three of tract thirty-nine-h, said corner
being located at Walkers Island Point ;

Southwesterly to the point of land marking the northwestern ex-
tremity of Augers Island Bend, said point being located approximately
five chains southeast of Augers Island;

Southwesterly to the northwestern extremity of tract thirty-nine-g
on the south side of Shipps Bay ; ,

Southwesterly with the meanders of tract thirty-nine-g to corner
one of said tract ;

Southwesterly to the northwestern extremity of tract thirty-nine-d ;

Westerly to the northwestern extremity of tract thirty-nine-Aa
on Sylvesters Cove;

Southerly with the west boundary of tract thirty-nine-Aa to corner
three of said tract;

Southerly to corner four of tract thirty-nine-a-I ;

Thence with the north and west boundaries of tract thirty-nine-a-I
to corner seven of said tract;
Thence with west and south boundaries of tract thirty-nine-a to
corner four of said tract, the place of beginning’.

Section 2. The jurisdiction ceded by this act shall be controlled
and measured by the provisions of section nineteen-a of the Code of
Virginia, as enacted into law by chapter three hundred and eighty-two
of the Acts of the General Assembly of nineteen hundred and thirty-
six, and shall not vest until the United States shall have acquired the
title of record to the said lands within the above description, by pur-
chase, condemnation, lease, or otherwise, and said area established as
a migratory bird refuge by presidential proclamation. Nothing in
this act contained shall be construed as in any wise affecting the right
of navigation in and over the water in which said qualified wild life
rights are herein released and transferred to the United States.