Massachusetts Audubon Society 7 



Records of the New England Bird Banding Association to date show 

 the following: Between four and five thousand birds banded, representing 

 ninety-five species. Some of the uncommon ones are black crowned night 

 heron, roseate tern, purple finch, white-throated sparrow, scaup duck, wood- 

 cock, spotted sandpiper, semipalmated sandpiper, hummingbird, wood 

 pewee, prairie horned lark, Henslow's sparrow, grasshopper sparrow, white 

 crowned sparrow, sharp-tailed sparrow, blue-headed ives, magnolia warbler, 

 brown creeper, blue-winged warbler, ruby-crowned kinglet, Leach's petrel. 

 The song-sparrow heads the list, followed by the robin and then the chip- 

 ping sparrow. 



William E. Smith of South Chatham, Mass., banded over one hundred 

 common and roseate terns, fledgings, and, while on a trip to New Bruns- 

 wick on the steamer Governor Dingley, he banded a song sparrow which 

 flew on board when the boat was thirty miles off Portland and released it 

 next day at Lubec, Maine. 



Mr. R. F. Middleton, Jeffersonville, Pa., noted that a song sparrow he 

 banded on May 6th, number 12420, had no tail. On June 6th the bird re- 

 turned to his trap and its tail was fully grown. Charles B. Floyd. 



BIRD SANCTUARIES 



Have you a Bird Sanctuary in your town? It is not a difficult thing to 

 arrange. Once a small boy wrote a composition on a Sanctuary as follows: 

 "You tie some suet to a tree, you put a dish of water on the ground and you 

 scare the cat away. That is a bird sanctuary." 



It is not so bad a definition of a bird sanctuary reduced to its lowest 

 terms. The tree for nesting and shelter, the food and water and safety from 

 enemies, are the first requisites of a bird sanctuary. Beyond these we may 

 go far, but without them no place can be a sanctuary for a bird. 



Such an area should be provided in every town. It should contain trees 

 and shrubbery tangles, some open ground and, if possible, running water. 

 The larger the area the better, but a small acreage well furnished and well 

 guarded is better than a large one not so furnished and guarded. 



A model sanctuary is the fenced ten-acre lot of the Connecticut Audubon 

 Society at Fairfield, Connecticut. This was established and endowed by a 

 wealthy Connecticut bird lover who takes great and justifiable pride in it. 

 On the other hand, the Audubon Wild Life Sanctuary of the National Asso- 

 ciation at Amston, Connecticut, comprises a whole town. Making the whole 

 town a bird sanctuary is a Florida idea. It is a good one. In the Massa- 

 chusetts Audubon Society's bird sanctuary at Sharon, Mass., a total of nearly 

 one thousand acres is guarded, the sanctuary proper being a forty-five acre 

 tract in the heart of this area. This is maintained as an exhibition sanctuary 

 where those who control large acreage may see the best methods in bird 

 protection in actual use. Thousands visit it yearly for this purpose. 



Just because we cannot start in a large way we must not be discouraged. 

 On a city houselot in Springfield, Mass., Mr. Charles J. Anderson has a 

 very successful bird sanctuary. On this in 1922 eight species nested and 

 thirty-four young birds matured. The fame and influence of this successful 

 sanctuary and the good work done there has gone far. Because of it there 

 is an increased local interest, bird classes are conducted, and Mr. Anderson is 

 frequently called upon to explain his work before interested organizations. 

 Even a small sanctuary, almost as small, perhaps, as the one the boy wrote 

 about, is better than none. Can you not devise a plan for one in your town? 



