The Audubon Societies 



345 



lings on my place, and it is sincerely to 

 be hoped that I am rid of them. 



Meanwhile the boxes taken by the 

 Starlings have been occupied by Great- 

 Crests, Bluebirds, and Wrens, some of 

 these evidently second broods. On my 

 place, at any rate, there has been a very 

 perceptible increase in the number and 

 kinds of birds oyer last year. I shot a 

 large, half-wild", and quite savage cat a 

 few days ago. M}' dogs-treed him within 

 a few feet of an Oven Bird's nest. Cats, 

 small boys, English Sparrows, Ltalian la- 

 borers, and Starlings — that is about the 

 order of demerit, I think. 



Yours faithfully, 



R. C. Rathbornk 



Melon Seeds Again 



The Melon-Seed Contest last summer 

 developed so wide an interest in birds, and 

 resulted so satisfactorily that the National 

 Association and the Ohio Audubon Educa- 

 tional Board will conduct another contest 

 in Ohio this summer and offer prizes as 

 follows: 



For greatest weight $4 oo 



For second greatest weight . 3 00 

 For third greatest weight . . 2 00 

 For fourth greatest weight . . i 50 

 For fifth to tenth greatest 



weights . . . Bird-Lore one year. 

 For nth to 20th greatest 



weights .... Bluebird one year. 



Any Ohio girl or boy from the seventh 

 grade down may enter the contest, 

 whether or not a member of a Junior .\u- 

 dubon Class. Seeds of muskmelons, sugar- 

 melons, and sunflowers, are the kinds that 

 may be entered. The seeds must be clean 

 (free of pulp) and dry. .\t the close of the 

 time limited the seeds are to be weighed, 

 and the child is to write a report, signed 

 by his teacher, stating the exact amount, 

 and this must reach Cincinnati by October 

 I, 1915; but the seeds are to be kept and 

 fed to the birds next winter. Reports 

 must be mailed to Dr. Eugene Swope, 

 No. 4 West Seventh Street, Cincinnati, 

 Ohio. 



Reformation in Missouri 



A long forward step has been taken in 

 bird-conservation, and in fair sportsman- 

 ship, by the enactment of the new non- 

 sale-of-game law in Missouri. The credit 

 for it belongs principally to Mr. E. T. 

 Grether, who has been tireless in arousing 

 public sentiment by his energetic articles 

 in Rod and Gun, and skilful in managing 

 the course of the bill, finally passed last 

 month, through a stormy legislature which 

 at first was almost wholh' against it. 

 Heretofore the law in Missouri forbade 

 the sale only of game "killed within the 

 state," and it was easily and constantly 

 evaded, es[)ecially in the southern part of 

 the state. 



The campaign really began at a meet- 

 ing of the Illinois Conservation Society, 

 where Mr. Grether spoke at length, and 

 promised to carry Missouri to the right 

 side of the question, while the Illinois men 

 strove for better market conditions in 

 Chicago. Mr. Grether, A. D. Holthaus, of 

 St. Louis, Senator Bardill, and others, 

 then went at the public and the legisla- 

 ture, and fought against almost hopeless 

 odds until little by little the sportsmen of 

 Missouri were convinced that heedless 

 slaughter was not the way to maintain 

 good sport. Finally the long-resisted 

 matter came to a vote, and the conserva- 

 tionists won almost unanimously, against 

 ignorance and callousness in market-gun- 

 ners, greed in dealers, and timidity in 

 politicians. Now no game may be offered 

 for sale in Missouri out of season, no 

 matter where killed. 



The good effect of this victory will be 

 widespread, .\rkansas, whence hundreds 

 of thousands of Ducks have been going 

 illegally to St. Louis and Chicago, is pre- 

 paring to adopt the Missouri non-sale law, 

 and Illinois will improve her regulations. 



Missouri, as standard-bearer, has thus, 

 in fact, advanced the whole line of Mis- 

 sissippi Valley states toward a better 

 position in respect to a higher type of 

 sportsmanship and a more effective meas- 

 ure of conservation; and the credit belongs 

 mainly to F. T. Grether. 



