The Audubon Societies 



39 



vation and study of the living bird, and one 

 June day set forth to "observe." He knew 

 the village street well and where the nests 

 of half a dozen birds were located, Robins, 

 Wrens, Song Sparrows, Catbirds, Yellow 

 Warblers, Chippies, and the like. There 

 were young birds in almost every nest ; of 

 these he made a collection, one from each, 

 and with the aid of a ladder forced the birds 

 to exchange children — result, pandemonium 

 and a feathered riot. 



The boy merely said that he wished to 

 see what the birds would do, and he saw 

 that for dire results he might almost as well 

 have stolen the unhatched eggs. A more 

 mature student would have probably written 

 a paper on "Race Antipathy in the Nesting 

 Season: a Study of the Living Bird." 



M. O. W. 



Reports of Societies 



FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PENN- 

 SYLVANIA AUDUBON SOCIETY 



During the past year the Pennsylvania 

 Audubon Society has conducted its work on 

 practically the same lines as heretofore, with 

 very encouraging success, while the results 

 obtained through the efforts of the American 

 Ornithologists' Union, U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, and other bodies in the inter- 

 ests of bird protection in America have been 

 of such importance that an outline of them 

 is here given in order that our intmhtrs may 

 keep in touch with this work. 



Througli the money subscribed to the 

 "Thayer Fund," wardens have again been 

 employed to guard the breeding Terns and 

 (Julls from Maine to Chesapeake Bay and 

 millinery collectors have been effectually kept 

 from disturbing them. Mr. Baily, of the 

 Pennsylvania Society, has superintended this 

 work in New Jersey. In addition to this, 

 more stringent laws have iieen passed in 

 many of the states in the interests of the 

 birds. 



The nature and [irovisions of the l.acey 

 Act having been carefully explained to the 

 leading wholesale milliners of the eastern 

 cities, tiiey ha\ e aluinst universally ceased to 

 ileal in an\ native .Xmirican i)ir(is. The 

 apparent increase iii the iim' of birds during 



the present season is due largely to the sell- 

 ing off of old retail stock and to the trade in 

 foreign birds. 



Investigation by officers of the Pennsyl- 

 vania Audubon Society shows that most of 

 the quills and fancy tufts of feathers now so 

 largely used in millinery are made from the 

 plumage of foreign wild birds, notably 

 Indian species. The laws of this country 

 do not apply to imported birds, and this 

 trade can only be discouraged by the refusal 

 of members of the Audubon Societies to use 

 any feathers for decoration except ostrich 

 plumes and feathers obviously from domes- 

 tic fowls, such as long black chicken 

 feathers, turkey quills, etc. 



The attention of our members is particu- 

 larly called to this matter, as so many of the 

 alleged quills and feathers of domestic fowls 

 are really from wild birds. In order to 

 stimulate the use of birdless millinery an 

 arrangement has been made with Mr. George 

 Allen, 1214 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 

 by which he will devote one case in his store 

 entirely to "Audubon hats." 



On January 5, 1901, the anniial meeting 

 of the Pennsylvania Audubon Society was 

 held in the lecture hall of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences. Mr. Stone presided and 

 made the opening address, being followed 

 by Mr. George Spencer Morris and Mr. 

 William L. Baily, who spoke respectivelj 

 on "Winter Birds" and "Bird Study with 

 the Camera." As usual the hall was crowded 

 and great interest was shown in the meeting. 



During the year the membership has in- 

 creased to 6,700, and rctjuests for circulars 

 and information have been received from 

 many parts of the state not hitherto repre- 

 sented in the Societ)-. 



In all, some 8,000 circulars and pamphlets 

 have been distributed, many of which have 

 been placed in village stores, schools and 

 reading-rooms. I'he number of local secre- 

 taries has increased in a most encouraging 

 manner, and we now have representatives 

 in sixty-seven towns, villages, etc., through 

 the state. 



During the year a Committee on Travel- 

 ing Nature- Study Libraries was appointed 

 under the management of Miss Hilda Justice. 

 In response to a circular issued in June, 



