2g8 Bird -Lore 



Delaware. — The work of the Delaware Audubon Society continues along 

 the same Hnes, that is, getting new members. Apart from this, there is nothing 

 of special mention. — Florence Bayard Hilles, Secrefarv. 



District of Columbia. — The work of our Society has progressed steadily 

 during the past year. The events of greatest interest being Mr. Kearton's lecture 

 and our usual field meetings. The latter have been well attended, a total of ninety 

 persons going on the five walks and no different kinds of birds being seen. 

 On the second walk, a colony of Night Herons was visited, and between fifteen 

 and twenty nests were found. Most of these contained }Oung, who filled the 

 woods with their hissing. In their anxiety, the parent birds came so near that 

 their red eyes and the long filamentous plumes sould be easily distinguished. 



On another day, the Blue Grosbeak, one of the rare birds of this region, was 

 noticed, and on the last walk the great event of the day was the sight of the 

 Pileated Woodpecker, which has been seen in the vicinity of Washington only 

 four times in twenty years. 



The five walks were productive of a number of rare birds; in addition to those 

 already mentioned, were Henslow Sparrow, Summer Tanager, Golden-winged, 

 Hooded, Kentucky and Worm-eating Warblers, Pine Siskin and Hairy Wood- 

 pecker. 



Each year, our Society gives a number of free lectures, hoping to arouse the 

 intelligent interest of the public. At our annual meeting in January, we had 

 Mr. Edward Avis, of New York, whose imitation of bird notes by whistling, 

 and on the violin, was much enjoyed, especially by the young people. 



All of our meetings have been well attended, but the treat of the year was 

 the lecture by Mr. Kearton, of Surrey, England, illustrated by a remarkable 

 series of moving pictures of birds (the first ever taken). These pictures were 

 shown for the first time in America at the Executive Mansion, on the invitation 

 of President Roosevelt. Mr. Kearton's next lecture was given under the aus- 

 pices of the National Geographic Society, from which 500 persons were turned 

 away; so that our Society considered itself very fortunate to secure ^Ir. Kearton, 

 and at once engaged the Columbia theater. To defray the unusually heavy 

 expense, we charged an admission fee of twenty-five cents, and by five o'clock 

 in the afternoon of the da}- on which the seats were put on sale not one of the 

 1,300 seats was to be had. 



The lecture, with its marvelous pictures, was thoroughly enjoyed by all 

 who had the privilege of hearing it. Mr. Kearton received an ovation, and was 

 so much pleased with the appreciation shown that he declared his intention 

 of returning to the United States next year to make a tour of the country. If 

 he does, we can only hope that all members of the various Audubon Societies 

 may have the privilege of hearing him. — Helen P. Childs, Secretary. 



