Sio Bird -Lore 



four months by the executive committee and the National Association jointly. 

 He obtained forty new members for the Society, and an account of his experi- 

 ences may be found elsewhere in this report. 



Branches of the Society are now established at St. Petersburg, Kissimmee, 

 Tampa, Winter Haven and Plant City. It is hoped that many others will be 

 formed during this autumn and winter. Each branch lends its financial aid to 

 the State Society by becoming a sustaining member (payment $5), and reports 

 quarterly to the Secretary. The St. Petersburg branch, of which Mrs. Kath- 

 erine Tippets is the President, has had a successful winter. Mrs. Barton, the 

 Secretary, reports that never has there been such universal interest — the 

 attendance of the bi-monthly meetings was never so large. A prize of $5, 

 open to any boy in the manual training school who made and put up a bird- 

 house in which a family of birds was hatched and raised, was won by Gregg 

 Cooper for raising three families of Martins. Orders were taken at the school 

 to furnish bird-houses built on the Von Berlepsch plan, and many were sold 

 and put up. A mock trial by jury of the English Sparrow before Judge Wilson 

 brought together many keen-witted men and women arguing for and against 

 its claim for life. • 



The branch of the Society at Kissimmee, Mrs. M. J. M. Willson, President, 

 is well organized and efficient. The branch at Plant City, Mrs. Taylor, Presi- 

 dent, has twenty-three members. A society at Winter Haven was formed 

 last spring. Dr. H. R. Mills has been tireless in his efforts for bird-protection 

 in Tampa, where, on Jmie 29, 1914, a branch was organized, with a membership 

 of forty. A determined, but unsuccessful, attempt was made to induce the 

 city council to pass an ordinance licensing cats, similar to that which exists 

 at St. Petersburg. 



Mrs. Kirk Munroe, whose interest and influence for bird-protection is 

 appreciably felt in southern Florida, has been very active the past year, having 

 spoken twice before the Woman's Club at Miami, and given much attention 

 to encouraging bird- work in the schools of Cocoanut Grove. Prizes were given, 

 essays were written, and at their "Garden Exhibit" one little girl's table was 

 charmingly arranged with various birds made from crepe paper. This exhibit 

 was carried out under the guidance of Mrs. McCormick. 



It is hoped some decisive measures will be taken by our recently formed 

 branches to prohibit in their towns the selling of caged wild birds. Dr. H. R. 

 Mills, acting for the Society, procured the arrest and fine of two men doing 

 this in the vicinity of Tampa. Mrs. Tippets discovered a woman at St. Peters- 

 burg buying several of these cages of birds to carry North, but the woman 

 escaped in the night with her booty. 



The Hungerford School, at Eatonsville, has continued its study of bird- 

 life. Two prizes of $2 each were given for essays. 



Our President, Dr. William F. Blackman, has given much efficient service 

 to the Society by addresses, correspondence, and detail-work. In April he 



