State Audubon Reports 291 



Iowa. — The work accomplished during the past year is somewhat similar 

 to that reported in previous years. The Audubon Society of Iowa has been ably 

 represented at the Board Meetings of the federated clubs of Iowa by its Presi- 

 dent, Mrs. W. B. Small, of Waterloo, who has requested that the district 

 chairman shall include this work in all outlines for district meetings. 



Mrs. J. W. Richards, President of the Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs, 

 has sanctioned the work, and has been helpful to the cause in many ways. 

 Miss Mame Weller, of Nashua, Chairman of the Committee on Conser- 

 vation in the Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs, is also an ardent worker 

 for the birds as well as for the preservation of our timber lands and water ways. 



The secretary of the Iowa Audubon Society had the pleasure of hearing 

 the splendid lecture given by Mr. Frank M. Chapman, at the Conservation 

 Congress in St. Paul. This vital subject of bird protection should be repeated 

 at the next Congress and the next, and, in addition to the emphasis laid upon 

 the \alue of birds in forest preservation, there should be added a practical 

 talk on the value of our common birds to agriculture, with the necessary 

 slides to illustrate the manner in which the destructive insects are devoured 

 by the young birds during the nesting season. 



The slides and lecture donated by Miss Hammond, of Schaler, Iowa, 

 were in constant demand during the spring and early summer months. The 

 lecture, prepared by Edward D. Clark, of Washington, D.C., and the sixty 

 beautiful slides, are still freely offered for use in any locality of the state; the 

 only stipulation being that the shipping expenses shall be paid by the society 

 making the application for their use. 



We are sending out leaflets to all who inquire for bird literature. Many 

 requests are being made by clubs for outlines of spring and summer work. 

 It is gratifying to note that, while we have no annual dues, we have a few 

 faithful workers in Iowa who send in a new list of names every year, with 

 the accompanying membership fee of twenty-five cents for adults and five 

 cents for juniors. 



At a recent meeting of the Executive Committee of the Audubon Society, 

 a small sum was set aside for the Mary Butcher Memorial Fund, as an expres- 

 sion of appreciation of the great work accomplished by Mr. William Butcher. 

 We have still in Iowa many women who openly violate the law for the pro- 

 tection of birds, though the penalty for the sale or possession of bird plumage 

 is plainly stated to be a fine of five dollars or imprisonment for thirty days. 

 If this law were enforced, what an assemblage of women, arrayed in the bar- 

 baric splendor of the Indian Chief, would appear in our courts of justice? 



Many may be ignorant of this law, but all good citizens should inform 

 themselves concerning this, as well as other humane legislation. A stronger 

 effort should be made by those in authority to enforce the laws of the state. — 

 Jane Parrott, Secretary. 



