456 Bird -Lore 



Rockaway (N. Y.) Bird Club. — During the year the various members 

 have maintained bird-houses, feeding-stations, and bird-baths about their 

 home-grounds. Both indoor and field meetings were held. One lecture was 

 given by a Club member, Charles Hewlett, and another by Edward Avis. Mr. 

 Avis lectured in the high school assembly-room and had a large and enthusi- 

 astic audience — many of whom were children. Our teacher-members have 

 continued their splendid educational work in the schools, forming Junior 

 Audubon Clubs, maintaining nature-study clubs, and giving talks. The 

 members of the High School Bird Club have been encouraged to give talks to 

 the grammar and primary grades, and this has been of mutual benefit. These 

 talks have been made easier for the speakers and more interesting for the 

 audience by the use of stuffed bird specimens generously loaned by the Ameri- 

 can Museum of Natural History. 



According to our usual custom, prizes were given to the members of the 

 Junior Clubs for the best individual observations and reports. The prizes 

 were a set of colored plates 'Birds of New York,' published by the New York 

 Museum, and any one of the Pocket Nature Guide series. Two winning con- 

 testants chose the 'Tree Guide.' One interesting meeting consisted of bird- 

 drawings in colored chalk by one of our members. Large sheets of drawing-paper 

 were used, and an attempt was made to leave the most marked characteristic 

 of the bird until the last. This resulted in sustained interest and in nearly 

 every instance some member would name the bird before the picture was 

 completed. After the completion of each picture, a short talk was given on 

 the bird's characteristics. It is with sincere regret that we report the death of 

 one of our members, a staunch friend of the birds, Mrs. Daniel Lord. Her 

 beautiful estate 'Sosiego' has been for a long time the haunt of the Black- 

 crowned Night Herons. At present the colony numbers about sixty. 



It was discouraging, just when the members believed the Club to be exerting 

 an influence for good throughout the community, to discover that, between 

 our visits to the Sanctuary, an attempt had been made by vandals to destroy 

 it. The boxes and feeding-stations were torn down and demolished and general 

 havoc wrought. The trees, bushes, and pond, however, are still there and we 

 hope that our feathered proteges have not noticed the intrusion, but will con- 

 tinue to allow us the opportunity of furnishing them with at least a share of 

 their next winter's food. — (Miss) Margaret S. Green, Secretary. 



St. Louis (Mo.) Bird Club. — An autumn bird-walk, in addition to the 

 program of spring walks, was conducted last October, bringing its reward of 

 several interesting migrants novel in the field experience of many members of 

 the Club. At a luncheon of the Club preceding the Christmas holidays, plans 

 were formed for decorating trees for the birds, and prizes were offered for the 

 best results. Children in several public and private schools carried the plans 

 into effect in the city parks and school-grounds of the suburbs. During the 



