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THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



Celebrating "Bird Day' in New 

 Orleans. 



BY STANLEY CLISCY ARTHUR, NEW 

 ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. 



The state of Louisiana observed 

 "Bird Day" this year on May 4th, the 

 anniversary of the birth of John James 

 Audubon, who was a native of that 

 state. Appropriate exercises were held 

 in all of the public schools of the state 

 and the pupils were told of the great 

 naturalist's life work, and special plans 



Louisiana forest scene l)y the use of 

 actual trees, shrubs, palmetto leaves 

 and hanging Spanish moss. The 

 mounted birds were installed by the 

 ornithologist of the Commission, Stan- 

 ley Clisby Arthur. 



The city displayed the livliest inter- 

 est in the exhibit. Through the use of 

 a counting machine it was learned that 

 over fifty thousand people visited the 

 display betwen 6 a.m. and 6 p.m Mon- 

 day, May 3rd., and were about the four- 



TIIE BIRD DAY EXHIBIT IN NEW ORLEANS. 



were made for the preservation of the 

 birds. 



In New Orleans the feature of the 

 bird day observance was a comprehen- 

 sive display of the different birds of 

 the state by the Conservation Commis- 

 sion of Louisiana. Over two hundred 

 and fifty mounted specimens of the bird 

 life of the state were mounted in real- 

 istic attitudes by expert taxidermists. 

 The largest department store in New^ 

 Orleans donated to the display a 

 large center show window, measuring 

 eighteen by thirty-three feet, and the 

 whole was converted into a typical 



sided window six deep that evening. As 

 all of the birds and the half-dozen 

 mammals showm were designated by 

 cards having the common names, the 

 fact that they were either resident, 

 winter visitors, or migratory, the whole 

 display was made educational. Game 

 birds were designated as such, and the 

 few "outlaw^ed" birds were so labeled, 

 and special attention was called to the 

 value of the song and insectiverous 

 "citizens of the air." 



On May 4th, many thousands of 

 public school children attended the ex- 

 hibit in class bodies, and their teachers 



