State Audubon Reports 305 



Maine. — The interest in bird prolcilion in Maine cuntinues to spread. So 

 far as known, llu' larj^'e colonies of birds on the coast lia\e heen unmolested, 

 and no unfavoraijle breeding conditions have come to notice. 



Common Terns returned to the Outer Green Island in considerable numbers, 

 and a few dozens bred successfully. — Arthur H. Norton, .VerrfA/rj. 



Maryland. — There is but little new to report this year. The game laws 

 were slightly modilied at the last meeting of the legislature. 



An encouraging feature, however, has been the desire on the part of indi- 

 viduals in different counties of the state to form local societies in their respective 

 communities. Good laws will be the inevitable fruit of a growth in knowledge 

 of bird life; so educational w^ork, the most important work of all, will continue 

 in Maryland. — Minna D. Starr, Secretary. 



Massachusetts. — It is pleasant to be able to report another successful 

 year with a gain of 321 members. Our membership is now 6,870, which includes 

 2,174 juniors and 123 local secretaries. 



Our work has been done along the usual lines. A large number of educational 

 and other Leaflets, warning notices in English and Italian, and copies of the 

 law have been freely distributed. Our four traveling libraries have been used 

 continuously and there has been a good demand for our bird charts, plates and 

 calendars Our three traveling lectures have been used in a number of schools. 



We are publishing another calendar this fall, printed in Japan, with six new 

 plates of birds, uniform in style and artistic merit with our calendars for the 

 past three \cars. 



Much interest was taken in legislative matters last winter, and a special 

 effort was made to help the passage of a bill to prohibit spring shooting. Several 

 hundred circular letters were sent out announcing the hearing on the bill and giv- 

 ing the reasons why it should be passed. This bill was referred to the next Gen- 

 eral Court. Several other bills called for special interest in our part. Among them 

 one to abolish our excellent Fish and Game Commission on the ground of econ- 

 omy, which did not get beyond its first hearing; one to create the office of State 

 Ornithologist, connected with the State Board of Agriculture, which passed; 

 and a hunters' license bill, which also passed, to go into effect January i, 1909. 



Constant w-ar w-as waged on milliners and hairdressers who tried to use 

 aigrettes, etc. All that were discovered were reported to the state officers, the 

 Fish and Game Commission, and their cases were promptly attended to. The 

 Commission sent out a deputy who did splendid work in a number of cities in 

 the state, bringing the offenders into court when he found the feathers of Herons, 

 Terns, etc., in their stock. They also had postals printed stating the law in regard 

 to the use, or possession of, feathers from birds protected by our state laws, 

 which were sent out by our Society as well as by the Commission. 



Besides the regular monthly meetings of the Board of Directors, a conference 



