448 Bird -Lore 



West Virginia. — The West Virginia Audubon Society closes its first twelve 

 months of existence with a membership of fifty-one, which is an increase of 

 twenty-six since the date of organization, October, 191 1. Of this number 

 eleven are out-of-town members. Our growth has not been rapid, but the 

 interest and enthusiastic cooperation of our membership, as evidenced during 

 the year, presages a Society in West Virginia that means to "do things." 



Our monthly meetings have been of interest and well attended. At these 

 meetings we have studied and discussed the following birds: Cardinal, Quail, 

 Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Bluebird, Catbird and 

 Wood Thrush. At different times our program has also included such topics 

 as 'Life of Audubon,' 'How to Study Birds,' 'Economic Value of Birds,' etc. 

 In July and August, outdoor meetings were held, the time being given almost 

 entirely to field work. 



In March the Society gave a lecture free to the public with the Rev. Earl A. 

 Brooks as speaker, on the subject of 'Spring Migration.' In May we secured 

 Mr. Henry Oldys to deliver his lecture on 'Bird-Notes.' On the day following 

 the lecture, Mr. Oldys conducted three field-trips, one at four o'clock a.m., 

 one at nine a.m., and the third at six p.m., all of which were well attended 

 and of much profit. These lectures and outings gave quite an impetus to 

 our work. 



Through the eft'orts of our publicity committee and press agent, space 

 has been secured in the Sunday edition of the morning city paper and in the 

 Saturday issue of a local evening paper, which space is devoted to articles 

 in interest of the birds under the head of 'Audubon Bird Notes.' Our press 

 agent has also prepared several articles for the agricultural and school journals 

 of the state and the Arbor and Bird Day Manual. 



Three Junior Societies were formed last winter in the Parkersburg Public 

 Schools by teachers who are members of this Society, and all are reported 

 as gratifying successes. According to the last report these Junior Societies 

 throughout the state number sixteen. 



Through the generosity of a member, the Society was enabled to offer 

 prizes for the first and second best and longest list of birds seen in this locality 

 between April i and October i, this year, to which contest any boy or girl of 

 Parkersburg and vicinity, under the age of sixteen, was eligible. Several showed 

 their interest by submitting the required monthly reports. The contest has 

 just closed with the first prize, pocket edition of Reed's 'Land Birds' going to 

 Carl Bibbee, who submitted a list of seventy birds, and the second prize, a 

 year's subscription to Bird-Lore, awarded to Herman Deem with a list of 

 twenty-one birds. 



Special attention and effort during the coming year will be given to the 

 organization of Junior Audubon Societies and the upbuilding of membership 

 in the State Society. 



The newly elected officers are: Miss Ida M. Peters, President; Mrs. W. W. 



