durand THE APPEAL OF THE BIRD 51 



Through several denominational junior publications the Society 

 and its objects were brought to the attention of children all 

 over Canada. The response from them was remarkable. No 

 inducement was offered to become a member but the card and 

 pin, a leaflet on building bird boxes, and a copy of Buckland's 

 report on "The Value of Birds to Man." 



At the close of the war the Society proceeded to provide for 

 children's bird clubs. Regulations were drafted for officers 

 and raising funds. This campaign has been confined to Ontario 

 on account of lack of means and of workers to extend it. 



Realizing the value to children of the co-operation of older 

 persons, the constitution of our Junior Bird Lovers' Clubs calls 

 for a Counsellor, and suggests the teacher in this capacity, and 

 for Patrons, and suggests public minded citizens of the neigh- 

 borhood. 



In order to stimulate the interest of schools and teachers the 

 present writer arranged to visit the schools accompanied by a 

 full equipment for delivering illustrated addresses. This en- 

 deavor was begun little more than a year ago. While many Junior 

 clubs are formed as the result of these visits and addresses, others 

 are formed on the furnishing of supplies, the members eagerly 

 awaiting the promised visit and address. There is scarcely a 

 centre of any consequence in Ontario which lacks several junior 

 members of this Society. Enthusiam on the part of the children 

 follows the visits of the Secretary on every occasion, and organ- 

 ization, wherever they find leadership. The most marked results 

 ensue in rural schools where the attendance is frequently not 

 above a score of children. 



In one of these diminutive and quaint resorts of local learning 

 and culture — readily indentified from a distance by their little 

 bell towers and isolation, — I saw last June a lovely instance 

 of the appeal of birds to children. This Peter Pan school is 

 situated on the ninth concession of the township of Beverley in 

 the county of Wentworth. It has a fairly deep porch, where the 

 children lunch on rainy days, and a wooden cornice runs under 

 its shelter, across the front of the building, and above the entrance. 

 Supported by this cornice was a long row of the nests of barn 

 swallows, filled with nestlings, to which the parent birds brought 

 food uninterruptedly. The nests were not of the customary 



