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Bird- Lore 



these are by no means adequately en- 

 forced, is evident to anyone who notices 

 the hordes of men and boys prowling, 

 these autumn days, about woods and 

 meadows, where legitimate game birds 

 are unknown, and Robins, Flickers, and 

 even the smaller migrants are the only 

 game. It makes one feel that the song 

 bird protectionists must often "pass by 

 on the other side," not having the honesty 

 of their convictions in as militant a degree 

 as the sportsmen, even when they have 

 the law to back the bird. 



It will doubtless be interesting to open 

 these ' pages, ' during the coming year, to 

 a presentation and discussion of this 

 legal status. We should like to receive 

 the condensed bird laws of every state 

 possessing such, as well as opinions as 

 to what birds should be excluded from 

 protection in the best interests of the 

 Commonwealth, to the end that there 

 may be a federation of Audubon Socie- 

 ties regarding the best method of ob- 

 taining legislation for the protection of 

 desirable birds not covered by the game 

 laws. 



Be the roads many — illustrated lec- 

 tures to arouse public sentiment, bird- 

 less bonnets, leaflets, thousands of pledge 

 cards signed by ready sympathizers—- 

 the goal must be conservative, well 

 thought out legislation, free from any 

 taint of emotional insanity. If we are 

 to keep the bird it must be by the aid 

 of the law, the only voice that mitst be 

 listened to, speaking the only language 

 understood by all the races that go to 

 make up the people of the United 

 States.— M. O. W. 



Reports from Societies 



RHODE ISLAND SOCIETY 

 An exhibition of birdless hats — 'Audu- 

 bonnets' as they have been facetiously 

 styled — was held in the parlors of the 

 Narragansett Hotel, in Providence, on 

 the gth of October. The response to 

 the invitations, which were sent by the 

 society to the leading milliners, was very 

 gratifying, nearly all of them entering 



cordially into the scheme. About one 

 hundred and fifty hats were exhibited, 

 and it is safe to say that such a beauti- 

 ful and artistic display of millinery was- 

 never before seen in Providence. Most 

 of the hats were especially designed for 

 the occasion, and an endless variety of 

 styles and trimmings was shown. The 

 result proved conclusively that the plu- 

 mage of wild birds can be easily discarded 

 without violating the laws of fashion 



The exhibition had been well adver- 

 tised and, in spite of unpleasant weather, 

 the parlors were thronged with visitors- 

 throughout the day. Many sales were 

 made, the proceeds going to the ex- 

 hibitors. 



Four ribbon prizes were awarded, but 

 it is the opinion of the committee in 

 charge that prizes, even of that nature, 

 were a disadvantage. 



The ' Providence News ' thus comments 

 upon the exhibition: "It was only the 

 other day that the ' News ' was moved to 

 remark from the evidence of the fashion 

 plates, that bird plumage was to be 

 more than ever the fashion this season. 

 But there is evidence that the protest 

 against it is a mighty one, and if the 

 birds in other communities have sup- 

 porters of the number and character 

 that they find here in Rhode Island, the 

 milliners who oppose the sentiment of 

 the Audubons will at no early day be 

 compelled to reform or to go out of 



business." 



Annie M. (jrant, Scc'y. 



PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY 



During the year that has followed the 

 issuing of our second annual report the 

 Society has spread to nearly every county 

 in the State. The membership has 

 grown from 3,300 to 5,000, and a steady 

 increase of interest is shown in the 

 letters received by the secretary. 



Bird-Day was most successfully ob- 

 served in a large number of schools, and 

 both teachers and pupils seemed well 

 pleased with the results. We owe thanks 

 to many of our local secretaries for their 

 good work among children, and for the 



