The Audubon Societies 



253 



The Minneapolis Bird-Club 



The Audubon Bird-Club of Minneapolis 

 recently held a bird-protective exhibit 

 in that City, which created a great amount 

 of interest. It was originally planned to 

 hold this four days, but so many visitors 

 came that it was decided to keep open 

 double that length of time. About 3,000 

 visitors were registered, but many others 

 came that were not counted. Audubon 

 literature, books, and supplies were dis- 

 played, and a great deal of missionary 

 work was done. 



The entire success of the e.xhibition is 

 but another indication that the Minneapo- 

 lis Audubon Bird Club is in good hands, 

 and it has been a pleasure to welcome the 

 organization as a member of the National 

 Association. 



On the Cat Question 



The Superintendent of the Board of 

 Commissioners of Rockford Park Dis- 

 trict, Rockford, Illinois, writes as follows: 



"In your March-April issue of Bird- 

 Lore, Katherine Parson, of Cambridge, 

 Massachusetts, defends the cat on the 

 ground that each cat destroys enough 

 mice and rats to save $9 annually. The 

 Government places the value. of the seed- 

 eating birds to the farmer at $1 each 

 per year. Surely, every bird, insectivorous 

 or otherwise, is worth as much. Cats on 

 an average eat fifty birds each, annually; 

 doing therefore $50 worth of harm, 

 while, according to her figures, doing $9 

 worth of good. 



"Personal e.xperience has taught me to 

 keep in check mice and rats at a small cost 

 in mj' own home, and the many buildings 

 under my management, by ever-changing 

 methods — traps and baits. Cats which 

 prowl around these buildings at night do 

 so entirely to take toll among the fledg- 

 lings and older birds that abound on the 

 premises, thus following the line of least 

 resistance in securing their food. It 

 matters not whether the food be mouse or 

 bird, just so it is food. Cats have done so 

 for ages, and will continue doing so. Per- 



sonal observation also convinces me that 

 generally those houses provided with cats 

 are also provided with mice. This is a 

 reflection on the tenant, who instead of 

 putting his brain against the brain of a 

 dumb animal, to get rid of it, turns the 

 job over to another dumb animal; one 

 which unfortunately is indiscriminating 

 in its choice of fare. 



"If a manufacturer or corporation found 

 its machinery making prohibitive waste, 

 they would discard the machinery and 

 install something that filled th€ demand. 

 The cat apparently has been a failure in 

 keeping down rodents, besides doing much 

 harm by eating many useful birds, and, 

 therefore, should be discarded for a bona- 

 fide, modern, sure-kill-mice-and-rats-only 

 substitute." 



An Appreciative Word 



From Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, 

 comes this pleasant note from a bird- 

 lover, Mrs. Ulysses S. Rush: 



"I wish to thank you for the copy of 

 '.\laskan Bird-Life' recently sent to this 

 mine from some Seattle address, which 

 was entirely obliterated when it reached 

 us. As I have hitherto been the only one 

 here who put out food for the birds, and 

 soft, cut-up yarns and cotton for their 

 r nests, the book was given to me as 'the 

 one who would get most good from it.' 



"It is the most practical book of birds 

 I have ever seen, in that it describes birds 

 that are in our vicinit}'. I also wish to 

 express my thanks to the member of 

 your Association who stood the e.xpense 

 of publishing this excellent book for free 

 distribution. That member has really 

 done valuable missionary work, to say 

 nothing of brightening many an other- 

 wise loneh' hour to one who is up here 

 among the hills, with no neighbors near, 

 and just our reading-matter and the birds 

 to cheer us. It took me nearly three 

 years to learn the name of the bird that 

 gives the fine, flute-like notes in the depth 

 of the woods, particularly at evening. I 

 now believe it is the Alaska Hermit 

 Thrush, but I have never been able to 



