State Audubon Reports 363 



STATE AUDUBON REPORTS 



California. — The past year has been a busy one for our Society, with most 

 satisfactory results. 



Early in October, Miss Gretchen L. Libby, our School Secretary, again 

 took up the work so successfully carried on by her the year before. This 

 educational work was given financial assistance by a gift of $250 by Mrs. 

 Russell Sage. The past year being a legislative one, it became necessary for 

 Miss Libby to leave the school work and go to Sacramento, to look after our 

 interests there. She spent the greater part of February and March in legis- 

 lative work. Early in the session, a bill was introduced in the Assembly to 

 remove protection from the Meadowlark. Later, it was amended by its author, 

 and made to apply only to certain of the valley counties. In the end, it was 

 defeated in the Assembly by a vote of 49 to 23, thanks to the untiring efforts 

 of Miss Libby and the many friends of this Society. Another adverse bill, 

 introduced in the Senate, aimed to take protection from the Kingfisher, 

 Grebe, Tern, Night Heron, Pelican, Bittern, and Cormorant. This was an 

 especially dangerous measure, as it would have made possible the wholesale 

 slaughter of Grebes and Terns for millinery purposes. This bill was amended 

 in Committee and never came up for final passage. 



A law was enacted, dividing the state into six game districts. This makes it 

 possible to arrange the open seasons in different districts in such a way as to 

 avoid much kilHng of game birds during the nesting season. While, hereto- 

 fore, in Southern California, the Dove season opened July 15, while the birds 

 were still nesting, it does not now open until September i. The season for 

 the Valley Quail is limited to one month in the Sixth District, which will 

 give these splendid birds a chance to increase in certain sections where they 

 are now scarce. 



At the close of the legislative session, Miss Libby severed her official con- 

 nection with this Society and accepted the position of Educational Assistant 

 with the State Fish and Game Commission, and has continued the work on 

 practically the same lines as heretofore. During the year, she visited 15 coun- 

 ties, 40 towns, 114 schools; gave 242 talks to 17,450 people. 



Though a few milliners in the state have been offering for sale plumes 

 of the Snowy Egret and Grebes' breasts, it has, on the whole, been ignorance 

 as to the law, rather than a desire on their part to evade it. I believe, as a rule, 

 the milliners of California are not averse to the present law. 



This year, a very good "Bird and Arbor Day" booklet was issued by State 

 Superintendent Hyatt, much of the material being supplied by the Audubon 

 Society. 



During the year, a most important undertaking has been successfully 

 launched by W. Leon Dawson, author of "Birds of Washington" and "Birds 



