240 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



ense it. This would eliminate the un- 

 desirables and give legal rights to the 

 legitimate ones. With the vagabonds 

 and tramps out of the way, and the cat 

 population reduced to reasonable 

 numbers, hundreds of millions of birds 

 would be saved to our land. This is 

 no inconsiderable item in these days of 

 food conservation. Insects destroy the 

 crops. Birds destroy insects. The 

 more birds, the fewer insects and the 

 more food. Why "save at the spigot 

 and waste at the bunghole?" License 

 the cat, save the birds and increase the 

 food supply. 



Increased Bird Study and Support. 



It is an encouraging sign that even 

 in war times the interest in the Audu- 

 bon Societies and in their support has 

 greatly increased. This is as it should 

 be. Any phase of nature study, any 

 phase of protection of wild life is 

 worthy of hearty support. 



The Agassiz Association heartly con- 

 gratulates the National Association of 

 Audubon Societies upon their good 

 showing and on their efficient work in 

 an important department of nature. 

 Secretary T. Gilbert Pearson says in 

 his report : 



"The entrance of our nation into the 

 world war has called for public service 

 and financial support to an extent 

 never even approached in this country 

 before. Innumerable war charities of 

 the most worthy character have made 

 constant appeals for funds, and huge 

 sums of money have gone into war 

 relief. As a direct result, many insti- 

 tutions supported by the general public 

 have suffered severely. Some have 

 closed their doors, and others have cur- 

 tailed their activities. Forty-six hos- 

 pitals in New York City alone are be- 

 hind in their budgets, and numerous 

 worthy institutions are on the verge of 

 collapse. With this Association it has 

 been different. True, some of our good 

 workers marched away to the war, and 

 some hitherto large supporters have 

 dropped their contributions, but others 

 have come forward to take their places. 

 Now, at the close of our year, it is with 

 much pleasure we announce that in not 

 a single line of our endeavor has it been 

 necessary for us to curtail during the 

 past year, and in most lines of activitv 



we have been able to expand, because 

 of the magnificent support the Asso- 

 ciation has received, for we have not 

 only held our own, but the sustaining 

 membership has grown 33 1-3 per cent, 

 during the past twelve months. 



*f* *|£ *|* 5jC 5JC 



"The total income of the Association 

 for the year amounted to $144, 089.21, 

 which is something more than $30,000 

 greater than the income for the pre- 

 vious year." 



Winter Birds in Massachusetts. 



A considerable flight of goshawks 

 has been reported in eastern Massachu- 

 setts during the early winter months, 

 and a number of great horned owls 

 have come down from the north. An 

 unusual flight of whistling swans has 

 also been reported off the coast. Snow 

 buntings and horned larks appear to be 

 in good numbers in their usual haunts. 

 A few crossbills and pine grosbeaks 

 have also been reported. Ruffed 

 grouse seem to be unusually scarce 

 this winter. 



Eave Swallows Prefer Unpainted 

 Buildings. 



An exhaustive article in the Septem- 

 ber-October number of "Bird Lore" by 

 Reverend Manley B. Townsend of 

 Nashua, New Hampshire, on the nest- 

 ing habits of the cliff swallow (eave 

 swallow), seems to prove pretty con- 

 clusively the interesting statement that 

 these birds prefer unpainted buildings 

 upon which to attach their nests, and 

 that these clay nests when attached to 

 painted structures soon drop off and 

 become abandoned. 



The expedition of the American Mu- 

 seum of Natural History to Western 

 China is bringing back some of the 

 richest collections ever secured by a 

 single party. These include more than 

 two thousand mammals, eight thous- 

 and feet of moving picture films, and 

 more than a hundred photographs in 

 natural colors. The party, with the 

 wife of the leader for its official photo- 

 grapher, entered regions where no 

 white persons had ever been seen, and 

 collected up to levels as high as fifteen 

 thousand feet. 



