35° 



Bird- Lore 



NEWS OF OUR AUXILIARIES 



This is the season of state and county 

 agricultural fairs, when rural people come 

 together prepared to see new things and 

 to carry away new ideas. The Audubon 

 people are alive to the excellent oppor- 

 tunities these fairs present for impressing 

 the value of bird-protection upon the 

 minds of country folks, who of all persons 

 ought to be most solicitous for the preser- 

 vation of bird-life, looked at from any 

 point of view. In many cases, therefore, 

 from one coast to the other, local societies 

 are represented by exhibition-booths at 

 these fairs, showing the good work done 

 by birds in behalf of the farmer, and dis- 

 tributing printed information. This Asso- 

 ciation has received many calls for its 

 leaflets and circulars to be distributed in 

 this way, and has gladly furnished such 

 supplies, recognizing the value of the 

 opportunity for educational service. 



State and local societies are working 

 busily and effectually in many other 

 directions. 



The Audubon Society in Detroit, 

 Michigan, where there is a large foreign 

 population, is grappling with the task of 

 preventing the wanton destruction of 

 bird-life by aliens, who suppose they can 

 kill any and every bird here as they have 

 been accustomed to do in their south- 

 European homes. Many violations of the 

 law have been reported, and these reports 

 are being tabulated by districts, and 

 notices will be posted in the foreign 

 languages spoken in each district in which 

 an undue number of offenses are com- 

 mitted. Similar educational work and 

 warnings are needed in many other 

 places. 



When a society has existed seven years, 

 and has grown steadily, one may be sure 

 that there is a strong and intelligent 

 interest in bird-work in that community. 

 This is the creditable condition in Buffalo, 

 N. Y., where the local society reports 

 a paid-up membership of 260 — 52 more 

 than last year — and more than $400 

 surplus in the treasury. The influence of 



this active society, of which Dr. C. E. 

 Beach is Chairman and Mrs. G. M. 

 Turner, Secretary, extends throughout 

 a large area suburban to Buffalo. 



Another society with money in hand, 

 and the will to use it in bird-work, is 

 that of Omaha, where a masque was 

 recently held under its auspices the net 

 profit of which was $400. This society 

 devised last summer a model scheme for 

 stimulating interest among children by 

 offering prizes for the best collection of 

 the pictures of birds printed on the wrap- 

 pers of a bread-selling company. Three 

 boys, working together, sent in 2,081 

 pictures and got a coveted pair of field- 

 glasses with which to continue their 

 studies, and many other children took 

 lesser prizes. 



The Audubon Society' of Illinois has 

 joined heartily, as might be expected, in 

 the movement to preserve as a national 

 park the wilderness of sand-dunes on the 

 south shore of Lake Michigan. Among 

 the many reasons for approving this pro- 

 ject is the sanctuary it would afford for 

 a great variety of birds, especially the 

 useful seed-eaters and the game-birds. 



Seattle's Audubon Society makes a 

 special feature of its bird-walks, which 

 are taken frequently to one or another of 

 the many excellent places for observation 

 in the varied country about that favored 

 city. 



The Audubon Society of Minneapolis 

 has been active in furthering the desire 

 of many citizens to preserve for public 

 use the old home of Senator Washburn in 

 Washburn Park. The society wants rooms 

 set apart for a bird-museum in the old 

 mansion. 



Among the newest and busiest of the 

 clubs affiliated with this Association is the 

 Bird Club of Long Island, of which Col. 

 Theodore Roosevelt is President. At a 

 recent meeting at Sagamore Hill reports 

 were given of activities in several direc- 

 tions, of which that most immediately 

 important was the posting of signs. 



