I20 DuTCHER, Report of Committeee on Bird Protectioti. ffan'^ 



"Protection has been given to two breeding colonies of Night 

 Herons near the Eastern Branch of the Potomac. The existence 

 of breeding colonies so near the city of Washington is of great 

 interest. All sale of grebes in the market has been effectively 

 stopped. The sale of live native birds has been reduced to a 

 minimum. The laws for the protection of birds and game have 

 been generally well observed. 



" The Audubon Society of the District of Columbia begins its 

 seventh year with renewed activity. The remarkable spread of 

 bird protection sentiment manifested in the greatly increased 

 interest in nature books and nature study, the rapid growth of 

 bird-protective legislation, and the organization of new societies 

 throughout the land, is both gratifying and stimulating. The 

 ready response of the people to organized effort clearly indicates 

 that energy and persistence are alone needed to awaken that 

 enthusiasm through which protection of the birds becomes an 

 assured fact. The District Society, which has so well borne its 

 part in the past, purposes to conduct a yet more vigorous cam- 

 paign during the coming year." 



Florida. — Legislation. — T\\q A. O. U. model law is still in 

 force, although it had a narrow escape from a serious amendment. 

 Fortunately through the vigilance and very active work of Mr. R. 

 W, Williams, Jr., the Florida member of the A. O. U. Protection 

 Committee, the amendment was killed in the Senate after it had 

 passed the House. 



The amendment was known as House Bill No. 561 and was 

 introduced by Mr. McNamee of Hillsboro, as follows : " A bill to 

 be entitled an act to exclude that certain family of sea fowls called 

 the tern family from the provisions of all statutes forbidding the 

 killing of plumage birds and providing penalties for a violation for 

 said killing." It was referred to the Committee on Fisheries, 

 which reported it favorably. Mr. McNamee stated in his speech 

 for the measure in the House, that "these birds were a nuisance 

 to man and destroyed the fish industry in Florida ; that their pelts 

 were of commercial value and there is no reason why the citizens 

 of Florida should not be allowed to reduce them to money." He 

 also said : " No one knows from whence they come, they are only 

 with us a short time, and it is senseless to protect them." The bill 



