The Audubon Societies 



67 



the request of Mr. Witmer Stone, I pre- 

 sented at this convention the text of a new 

 law for the protection of birds and their 

 nests and eggs, as drafted by our com- 

 mittee on Bird Protection. The con- 

 vention agreed to submit the proposed 

 law to each of their respective legisla- 

 tures. 



Great credit is due to the efficient work 

 which has been done in our state by War- 

 den H. W. Loveday and his deputies. 

 Since the first of the year over one hun- 

 dred prosecutions and convictions have 

 been made, for the wanton killing and 

 trapping of song and insectivorous birds 

 by men and boys largely Italians and Bohe- 

 mians. In 1897 there were 580 convictions 

 in the state for the illegal killing and trans- 

 portation of game birds. This year the 

 game has been so carefully watched and 

 such prompt action taken of reported cases 

 of violation, that the poachers and market 

 hunters have been less bold, and the num- 

 ber of arrests and seizures of game have 

 been reduced over one-half. 



On April 9, i8g8, as a result of the 

 efforts of County Superintendent of Schools 

 Mr. Orville T. Bright, a meeting was held 

 in Chicago in the interest of the school 

 teachers of Cook county. Over three hun- 

 dred were present, and the meeting was 

 devoted exclusively to birds, and addresses 

 given by several members of the Audubon 

 Society. A " Finding List " of sixty spe- 

 cies of birds, compiled by Mr. Frank E. 

 Sanford, Superintendent of the La Grange, 

 111., Schools, was distributed. This is a 

 most effective method to inspire the teach- 

 ers and in turn impart their love for birds 

 ' to the scholars. 



RuTHVEN Deane, President. 



IOWA SOCIETY. 



Under the auspices of the Keokuk Wo- 

 man's Club, the Audubon Society of Iowa 

 was organized April 5, 1898. 



The first work taken up was the estab- 

 lishment of Bird Day in the public 

 schools. 



The second meetmg was held in Rand 



Park. Short talks were made by Hazen 

 I. Sanger, John Huiskamp, Rabbi Faber, 

 Doctor Ehinger, and a paper was read 

 by Miss Read. 



We have bought and distributed through 

 the schools, from kindergarten up, bird 

 pictures and bird literature. 



One of our men milliners asked to be- 

 come a member. 



On August 6 the officers of the society 

 met and adopted articles of incorporation, 

 this being the first Audubon Society to 

 be incorporated under the laws of Iowa. 

 The laws of Iowa give fair protection to 

 the birds ; our work is in creating the 

 right sentiment. 



Nellie S. Bo.\rd, Secy. 



MINNESOTA SOCIETY 



Mr. John W. Taylor, President of the 

 Minnesota Audubon Society, reports the 

 passage of a law establishing Arbor and 

 Bird Day in Minnesota, and writes: "It 

 is, as you can well imagine, a source of 

 great gratification to the lover of birds in 

 the state, and especially to the Audubon 

 Societies. Through this law we can do 

 more towards bird protection than we 

 could accomplish in many years' -labor 

 without it. It brings the subject before 

 the teachers and children, and as you 

 educate the child so you mould the man. 

 We have now in this state 58 branch 

 societies, besides many school organiza- 

 tions and children's bird clubs. The 

 number of members I am not able to 

 give, as I have not all the reports in. We 

 have sent out considerable literature, and 

 used the press largely to interest our 

 people. We feel that we are doing won- 

 ders for the first active year we have had, 

 and congratulate ourselves that the hardest 

 work is done. We hope by April ist to 

 have a branch in every county in Min- 

 nesota. " 



Reports from the New Hampshire and 

 Wisconsin Societies and a notice of the 

 American Society of Bird Restorers are 

 necessarily postponed until June. 



