lOO DuTCHER, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. Ljan. 



Audubon societies are educating both adults and children ; it is 

 teach, teach, teach, both in the field and by libraries, pictures, 

 lectures, and every method to make the masses acquainted with 

 the bird in life. Day by day and year by year there is a steady 

 growth of sentiment in favor of bird protection ; this can be seen 

 on every hand. Unfortunately there are a few unsympathetic and 

 doubting people who say all this work is not necessary because the 

 fashion is changing and the use of birds' plumage is not very popu- 

 lar at the present time; this, however, we believe is not a fact. 

 The reason there is less plumage now used is simply because the 

 Audubon sentiment is increasing ; it is more difficult to obtain 

 wild birds' plumage ; protective laws are being passed in the 

 country ; and, as is reported by the Wisconsin Audubon Society, 

 milliners say it is impossible to sell a hat trimmed with wild birds' 

 plumage to the mother of a child who belongs to an Audubon soci- 

 ety, or who is taught in the school about birds. 



During the year new Audubon societies have been organized in 

 the following States: Michigan, Georgia, North Dakota, and Colo- 

 rado, and it is found that there is a steady and persistent growth 

 of the Audubon movement in other localities (see map). 



One of the greatest gains of the past year in educational lines 

 was the educational leaflets issued by the National Committee ; 

 these have been found to fill a long-felt want and are practical 

 methods of teaching not only the aesthetic but the economic value 

 of birds. 



It is most unfortunate that these leaflets cannot be distributed 

 gratuitously; requests are made almost daily for them from schools 

 or individuals which cannot be met, and it dampens the ardor of 

 the inquirer when we cannot freely give them our literature with- 

 out charge. 



Probably one of the most important advance movements in the 

 history of bird protection was the agreement made in April last 

 between the Millinery Merchants Protective Association, the New 

 York Audubon Society and the American Ornithologists' Union. 

 This agreement was concurred in by the Western Millinery Asso- 

 ciation, and has been so widely noticed in the press of the country 

 that it is unnecessary to do more than give the actual text of the 

 agreement. 



