Reports of Field Agents 427 



W. Miller, State Commissioner of Common Schools, in publishing for us 

 in his Arbor and Bird Day Annual some specially prepared material relating 

 to Junior Audubon Classes. Forty thousand copies of this annual were dis- 

 tributed among the teachers of the state. Unfortunately, however, this dis- 

 tribution took place just previous to that period of days when the floods 

 over the state diverted attention from all things else. 



The Supervisors of Elementary Agriculture, Messrs. Clark, Harbourt, 

 Ivins and Goll, have given much assistance to the Junior Audubon work, 

 and are continuing to do so. 



Cincinnati newspapers have been liberal in giving notices of meetings, 

 and have occasionally published some edited-to-death short bird articles. 

 As yet the editors of these several papers are not aware of the widespread 

 interest in bird life. The Ohio "Star," a Columbus newspaper, must have 

 special mention, and deserves our unstinted thanks for its readiness to publish 

 a series of bird articles, which were widely copied by other papers and greatly 

 helped in securing new and better legislation in Ohio in the interest of wild life. 



Since the interest in Ohio in the wild birds began growing and sjjreading 

 into corners and communities previously innocent of Audubon work, there 

 have arisen many who are beginning to give lectures, and lantern and chart 

 entertainments, on subjects of birds and their economic value. These workers 

 do not always associate themselves with the Audubon Society, but their influ- 

 ence is helpful and their teachings correct, and it is to be hoped that their 

 numbers will increase. Gradually they are associating themselves with the 

 Audubon Society. 



Another form of activity in behalf of the birds, that has not until this 

 year come to notice, is the use of a single set of Audubon leaflets by the teacher 

 to instruct a class of forty or more. These teachers are not on our records 

 and are not secretaries, but they are certainly doing Audubon work. Ques- 

 tioned as to why they follow this method instead of organizing a Junior Class, 

 where each child may have his own leaflets, they invariably answer that 

 they hesitate to ask the children to pay ten cents membership fee, and because 

 they are apprehensive of criticism from parents, or the school board, or both, 

 since bird-study is not included in the course of study. These teachers are 

 each shown how they can have their classes pay the Audubon class member- 

 ship fee and use the leaflets as supplementary reading and the outlines for 

 the regular drawing-lesson. Some have acted upon the suggestion. 



The opposition that came from superintendents and principals against 

 progressive Audubon educational work in Ohio is very perceptibly lessened. 

 Open statements of this opposition, and discussion of it brought bird-study 

 into notice, with the result that it is considered without prejudice, at least. 



What last year appeared to your field agent as conservatism, and even 

 prejudice against Audubon educational work among many Ohio educators, 

 is better understood this year. There was probably not a single case of preju- 



