5,S4 Bird -Lore 



seems re;^arded as uttered in a purely Pickwicivian sense. Alas! until very 

 recently education has been away from nature instead of in the direction of 

 the world about us, w^hich is the only actual house of life. In this state the 

 Secretary of the Society is also the Treasurer, and in my case, at least, Field- 

 Agent as well. About my first work was to appear before the State Federa- 

 tion of Woman's Clubs, when resolutions were adopted to the effect that each 

 should appoint a committee to act with the Audubon Society in establishing 

 Junior Classes in the public schools, and that each club should hold one public 

 meeting annually in the interest of bird-protection. The next move was in 

 the direction of getting new members for the State Society. An appeal was 

 published in our official organ, By the Wayside, for 50,000 new members, 

 which was subsequently sent to all the newspapers in the state with a request 

 that they republish it and send their bill to the birds. A special appeal to the 

 teachers of Wisconsin was made through The Journal of Education. 



This gave the Society healthy publicity, but comparatively few new mem- 

 bers. One of the principal handicaps in Audubon work throughout the year 

 has been the uncertainty and irregularity in the publication of By the Way- 

 side. Ex-editor Roland B. Kremers found himself unable to give the time to 

 its duties that the position demanded. The genial new editor, Prof. A. R. Cahn, 

 will find that the Directors have a rod in pickle for him, unless in the matter 

 of regularity he becomes a good second to Old Faithful! Memberships were 

 solicited also by letter, which resulted in so voluminous a correspondence 

 that the Secretary's daughter was appointed as his efificient assistant, and the 

 Society gradually doubled its membership. It has become generally known 

 as the only organization in Wisconsin having for its sole aim bird-protection 



Making no special mention of what has been done in establishing Junior 

 Classes in the schools (although, by the exertions of the National Associa- 

 tion 115 classes, containing 1,253 members, were formed within the state), 

 I wish to call attention to two very important things actually accomplished in 

 Wisconsin. First, the creation of Audubon bird-refuges to the extent of 21,868 

 acres, Madison, Ripon, and Portage becoming cities of refuge. In fact, more 

 land has been offered than could be properly posted this year. Prof. A. C. Bur- 

 rell, of the State University, deserves special mention for invaluable services 

 rendered in this direction. The idea of setting apart private lands as bird- 

 sanctuaries is a popular one, and is bound to accomplish a vast amount of 

 good. When the proposition was made to C. E. Blodgett, of Marshfield, to 

 post his 5,000 acres of land as a bird-refuge, he not only acceded to it at once, 

 but also gave the Audubon Society $100, thus becoming its first patron. 

 The second important thing accomplished was at the Game-Warden's Con- 

 vention, when two-thirds of the deputy wardens became members of the 

 Audubon Society.— \'^ictor Kutchin, Secretary and Treasurer. 



