MonthlyBulletin 7 



quarters for supplies as well, and every day brings inquiries, appeals for 

 help, orders for material or visiting investigators, often from far-distant 

 States as well as our own. 



In all matters pertaining to better legislation the Society has fought 

 vigorousl}^ since its founding. It has been largely instrumental in getting 

 upon the statute books of the State the better bird laws that have been 

 enacted during the past quarter of a century. It has contributed in money 

 and service in every campaign for better national laws as well. It was 

 particularly active in work at Washington for the Federal Migration Bird 

 Law and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, both of which have done so 

 much for the protection of our useful wild birds. It has contributed liber- 

 ally to the various funds needed for bird work throughout the country from 

 time to time. One of its notable contributions was $1,000 toward the 

 Roosevelt Memorial Bird Fountain, planned for by the National Associ- 

 ation of Audubon Societies, this total being made up of very many small 

 sums generously donated by a large portion of its membership. 



I'he Audubon Society Bird Lectures, begun in a small way by Ralph 

 Hoffmann and his fellow directors, have become a Boston Institution, 

 bringing lectming scientists from all over the country and filling the largest 

 hall in the city with audiences numbering fifteen hundred or more for each 

 lecture. 



Several thousand Audubon Calendars, published each year, carry 

 bird pictures in color and bird information into as many homes, and the 

 Audubon leaflets and pictures go forth on missionary errands, often to 

 far-distant places, in every mail. 



In the same way the Audubon Bird Charts, now three in runnber, 

 showing seventy-two birds in color, have become a schoolroom necessity 

 throughout the land and are displayed in progressive public libraries every- 

 where. 



In April, 1916, the Society accepted the generous offer of Dr. George 

 W. Field of the use of his Sharon estate for a bird sanctuary. This estate; 

 comprises two hundred and twenty-five acres of diversified field and forest 

 land with brooks and small ponds admirably adapted for the purpose. 

 Since that time through the good will of adjoining landholders the area 

 thus protected has been increased to seven hundred and fifty acres. In 

 June, 1918, Mr. Harry G. Higbee, an ornithologist of repute, was engaged 

 as resident^warden at the Sanctuary, making his headquarters at the very 

 ancient farmhouse. The Society's aim in this work is to show how birds 

 may best be attracted on any farm or estate, to so attract and protect them 

 over a large area and especially to make the place so interesting to the g(ni- 

 eral public that it will make pilgrimage to it to learn the methods employetl. 

 In the farmhouse certain rooms have been set apart for the display of 

 Audubon literature and material and have been made very attractive by 

 Mr. Higbee's excellent natural-history collections showing birds, flowers, 

 minerals, insects, etc. During 1920 over twenty-six hundred visitors 

 registered at the Sanctuary office, representing twenty-three States and 

 some distant countries — Canada, Cuba, England, for instance. A dele- 

 gation of Japanese studying American institutions came one day. The 

 Sanctuary work is supported entirely by voluntary subscription and from 

 the General Fund of the Society. 



In February, 1917, the monthly "Bulletin of the Massachusetts 

 Audubon Society" was first pubhshed, its purpose being to chronicle the 

 affairs of the Society from month to month, to report items of interest con- 



