BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



the Lyre-Birds had built their large oval stick nest 

 (the egg cavity is about 14 in. by 10 in.) interwoven 

 with fern rootlets, stringy leaves, moss, sand, etc., 

 the interior being warmly lined with soft whitish 

 bark, and with feathers from the bird's own breast. 

 These birds lay only one egg, which takes seven or 

 eight weeks to hatch. 



" The Lyre-Bird is a fine songster, and as a 

 mocking-bird is without a peer, for he mimics all 

 the bush sounds to perfection — the cries of animals 

 and the songs of birds. The male loves to display 

 his vocal and other accomplishments to a female 

 audience on a specially prepared " dancing mound " 

 of earth and leaves, about 4 ft. in diameter. . 



" So shy are they that a mere shadow will send 

 them floating to cover. I say floating advisedly, 

 for the flight of the Lyre-Bird, like all else per- 

 taining to it, is graceful and beautiful. The birds 

 when on the wing do not have the appearance 

 of flying at all. You disturb one feeding on a 

 fallen tree trunk, tearing off the decayed bark in 

 great pieces with its powerful claws in its search for 

 grubs, etc., and it rises noiselessly, fading away 

 down the green aisle of the forest with the sunlight 

 making resplendent the trailing golden-brown tail 

 feathers. But there is no wild beating of wings 

 and no sound, just a graceful form floating through 

 the trees." 



Seven Lyre- Bird tails were sold at one of the 

 London plume-sales in April last, and no fewer 

 than 100 in the previous October. 



THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES. 



THE report of the National Association of Audubon 

 Societies of the United States for 1905 shows that 

 our fellow-workers across the Atlantic are pushing 

 on the work of Bird Protection with an energy and 

 determination worthy of their enterprising nation. 

 Only twenty years ago was the first Audubon 

 Society formed and the Model Law drafted. To- 

 day the incorporated National Association has an 

 income of over twelve thousand dollars, there are 

 societies in thirty-six States, and the Model Law 

 has been adopted in thirty-two (including all the 

 coast States except one). During the first year 

 of its incorporation the Association has added 

 450 per cent, to its membership and 250 per cent, to 

 its receipts, and its work has been in proportion 

 to its growth. Four new bird reservations have 

 during the year been made by order of President 

 Roosevelt, making a total of six on (iovernment 

 land. In the case of bird colonies on islands or 

 land owned by a State, corporation, or individual, 

 efforts are made to buy or lease the territory ; and 

 one State society alone has a ten years' lease of 

 twenty-two islands, and is negotiating the purchase 

 of another and larger one necessitating the employ- 

 ment of a powerful sea-going launch. "There is 



no more effective method of protection," writes 

 Mr. Dutcher, " than to guard the birds while they 

 are breeding, and if this can be done on an island 

 or group of islands set aside as a bird refuge it 

 becomes doubly valuable." 



The subject of cage-birds " has received special 

 and vigilant attention during the year," and " the 

 dealers now understand that the National Associa- 

 tion does not intend to permit any traffic whatever, 

 especially inter-state traffic, in live North American 

 birds." Germany, it appears, also is contemplating 

 the suppression of the shipment of live native birds. 

 Great Britain, with her bird-markets, bird-shops, 

 and exportation of wild birds, lags heavily behind. 



Through the co-operation of the American and 

 Japanese governments it is believed that the 

 islands in the Pacific, which were being plundered 

 by Japanese traders, are now safe from the plume- 

 hunter. Not the least interesting portion of the 

 report is the three-cornered correspondence be- 

 tween the governor, Mr. Dutcher, and one Captain 

 Max Schlemmer, concerning the efforts of the 

 last-named to obtain a lease of certain islands of 

 the Hawaian group where albatrosses and other 

 sea-birds nest. Schlemmer offered to plant the 

 islands with cocoa-nut trees, to "protect the birds," 

 and to allow the government a percentage on the 

 receipts from the sale of bird skins, on the repre- 

 sentation that only "the annual increase,'' should 

 be killed. The ingenuous offer was not accepted. 



In the programme for the coming year Mr. 

 Dutcher has placed legislation for cats, it being 

 proposed to have these animals taxed and their 

 owners made responsible for them, in the interests 

 of both the birds and the cats themselves. School 

 bird-clubs and women's clubs are strongly advo- 

 cated, and a few pertinent words to members as to 

 their powers and influence may prove suggestive 

 also to members of our own Society. 



" You should not cease to think and act after 

 you have attended an annual meeting and elected 

 managers, or have read the annual report or 

 renewed your yearly subscription. It is your duty, 

 by every means in your power, to uphold the hands 

 of the officers you have chosen, and to be loyal to 



the principles of the movement Vgain, it is 



your duty to do some Association work yourself 

 . . . . A membership card and some of the publica- 

 tions of the Association should always be at hand 

 for use, and, above all. the merits of our organ, 

 1 Bird Lore,' should be on your mind, and you 

 should widen its chance to do good." 



The National Association has removed its head- 

 quarters from the house of its President Mr. 

 Dutcher) to offices at 141, Broadway, New York. 



