330 Bird - Lore 



Rhode Island. — The Audubon work in Rhode Island has been carried on 

 during the past year along four main lines: Education, Legislation, Traveling 

 Libraries and Lecturers. 



The educational work has been emphasized and extended by the zealous 

 efforts of the Education Committee, of which Mrs. Herbert E. Walter is the chair- 

 man. The aim is to introduce bird study into the secondary schools of the state 

 as fast as the teachers are prepared to teach it and the necessary illustrative 

 material can be supplied. A good deal of interest was aroused, and valuable 

 suggestions were given to the teachers, at a Nature Study Conference arranged 

 by the Education Committee and held at the Rhode Island Normal School on 

 April 8. Prof. C. E. Hodge, of Clark University, gave an inspiring lecture on 

 "Practical ^Methods in Teaching Nature Study," illustrated by domesticated 

 Bobwhites and colored slides. 



The Committee is getting together, in cooperation with the Park Museum, 

 twelve sets of material to illustrate the economic value of birds, to loan to the 

 rural schools. The Museum will supply similar collections to the City Schools. 



Interest in legislation has been fostered by the Committee on Legislation, 

 working in cooperation with the Bird Commissioners of the state and Mr. Edward 

 H. Eorbush, with the result that on April 6 our state legislature passed the Hunt- 

 ers' License Bill. This requires registration of all and license fees as follows: 

 $1 for each citizen resident in the state; $io for each citizen non-resident in the 

 state; $15 for each unnaturalized foreign-born person. A fine of S20, S50, or 

 thirty days' imprisonment, or both, is imposed for violation of this act. The Com- 

 mittee also petitioned our Senators and Representatives to favor the l>ill for the 

 Federal Protection of the migratory birds. 



The traveling librar\- work has been extended in interest by the addition of 

 four new libraries, making eleven libraries and 275 books in all. Two of these 

 were bought largeh- b}- a grant from the State Appropriation for traveling libra- 

 ries, one was given by an interested and generous member, and one by the pub- 

 lishers of Nature Study books and exhibited at the Conference. The last two 

 libraries will be circulated through the public schools. 



The lectures during the year have been of great interest and have reached 

 more people than ever before. Two lecture centers have been established through 

 the education Committee at the Providence Public Library and the Roger Wil- 

 liams Park Museum, at each of which four free bird lectures were given during 

 last sjjring. lught lectures were given also in different grammar schools by Mr. 

 Murphy, of our Society. All these were in addition to the valuable series of illus- 

 trated popular lectures, which were given before the Society and its friends, after 

 the bi-monthly meetings of the Directors, bv Mr. Forbush of Boston. Mr. Mur- 

 phy, of Brown University, Professor Hodge, of Clark l^niversity. and Mr. 

 Clinton G. Abbott, of New York City. 



The Society has jniblished a full report, giving its officers, members, by-laws 

 and results of the varied work of the Socictv . — Ai.Tci- W. WiLCOX, Secretary. 



