344 Bird - Lore 



northern Iowa and western Wisconsin to a certain extent. We have heard of 

 the results of the distribution of this bird Hterature in many cases, with resuhs 

 exceedingly satisfactory to this Society. 



It has helped to get a number of branches organized in the smaller towns, 

 and has interested a large number of teachers in the public schools, who have 

 formed bands, and in this way started an education of the young people, which 

 ought to make good adult protectors for our wild birds later on. 



We have taken up a work in our large towns, which seems to need attention, 

 and which I have not heard mentioned before. We have found that the shipping 

 of small birds from abroad in small cages, four or five inches square, has become 

 a large industry in our principal cities. We have found that these birds, after 

 arriving here, were kept in these cages, which were filthy and too small for any 

 exercise of the inmates, and that the food given them was thrown into the dirty 

 cages. W^e have insisted that these birds all be changed into larger cages, giving 

 them more freedom, better air, and cleaner food and quarters, and also have 

 insisted that these cages be kept clean. We had a law passed in our legislature 

 two years ago which would enable us to enforce such a demand. I am some- 

 what curious to know whether like work has been taken up in any of the other 

 cities or states. 



We also arranged with the State Humane Society, and the local branches, 

 to post the country with circulars, giving information to the people that the kill- 

 ing of song-birds and the destruction of their nests is, under our law, a penal 

 offence, and also, offered a reward for the detection and the conviction of any 

 one infringing this law. This, I believe, has done more good, and reached more 

 people and protected more bird lives, than anything we have been able to do as 

 a Society. 



I think I may safely say, that although we have not made much noise, we 

 have accomplished more work during the last year than any previous year, 

 that our membership is steadily increasing, and that our work is having a decidedly 

 good effect, especially upon the young people. The almost total disappearance 

 of birds worn as ornaments is one of the flattering results of our law, as is also 

 the agreement of our millinery jobbers to discontinue the sale of mounted birds. 



The last few years have certainly, through the influence and hard work of 

 the National Society, accomplished wonders. We feel today as though we would 

 like to be financially strong enough to establish a branch in every county, and 

 flood the whole state with bird literature. 



The writer, upon a late occasion in conversation with a farmer, was told the 

 following: " We were sowing a field not long ago, and my two boys noticed a 

 flock of birds following after the seeder. They made up their minds that the 

 birds were eating the grain, so they got out their shot-guns and killed quite a 

 number. I was curious to see how much grain one of these birds would eat, and 

 upon opening the crops of several, I was astonished to find that they were full 

 of fresh worms, but no grain. I told my boys that if I caught either one of them 



