368 Bird -Lore 



It was also urged that special shrubs and trees bearing edible fruit and 

 berries be planted, and that millet and sunflowers be generally cultivated in 

 the individual gardens, to give the birds an extra supply of food. 



Using as a basis Mr. Job's report, a committee of citizens met together 

 and formed the Forest Hills Gardens Audubon Society, choosing for their 

 President Mr. E. A. Quarles, of the American Game Protective Association — 

 at that time a resident of Forest Hills, — whose special knowledge and leader- 

 ship has been of the utmost value to the young organization. 



At Mr. Quarles' suggestion, the Forest Hills Society was made a branch 

 of the National Audubon Society, and the Constitution and By-Laws used 

 were those, with slight modifications, of the New Jersey State Society. 



As the main idea of the new society was to make bird protection a com- 

 munity venture, the first thing done wats to try to interest every one in the 

 subject, and to get them to become members. This was done by means of a 

 circular letter enclosing Mr. Job's report, and following upon this there were 

 two lectures — one for children — given by Mr. Ernest Harold Baynes. It 

 may be emphasized here that all educational matter sent out by the Society 

 and all lectures and public meetings given by it are free not only to members, 

 but to everyone else. It is strictly a community affair, but not necessarily 

 limited to the Gardens. Any outsider may join^ in the hope that he, in his 

 turn, may become the nucleus of a community movement in his own town, 

 and so make Long Island a string of villages allied for bird protection. 



Several of the lectures given by the Society have had social features, such 

 as music, others — and these not the least popular — have been open meetings 

 for general discussion of the various community problems. Perhaps chief 

 among these has been 'What to do with the English or Domestic Sparrow?' It 

 has been clearly proved at the Gardens that he is beyond question an enemy 

 to the native birds, and that they cannot thrive side by side. As the Gardens 

 are within the limits of New York City, shooting of the birds is not allowed by 

 law. Sparrow traps have been tried with some success, and killing them by 

 means of poison-soaked grain; but, with all these, getting rid of the Sparrow 

 and minimizing the cats remain the chief problems in the suburban com- 

 munity. 



Nesting-boxes have been put freely in the Gardens — a number of them 

 made by the Journeyman's Class of the Junior Branch, which meets once a 

 week in winter. 



A course in elementary ornithology has been started in the public school, 

 and special lectures and field excursions provided for the children. Even the 

 very young children have been organized into neighborhood groups. 



Giving the birds a newspaper was the idea of one of the trustees of the 

 Gardens Society, and here, as always, the Society had the hearty cooperation 

 of the Sage Foundation Homes Company, the owners and developers of the 

 Gardens. The Homes Company gave ten ornamental iron bulletin boards — 



