140 DuTCHER, Report of Committee 011 Bird Protection. I j^i 



more afternoons each week to the school work. Then, we give 

 ' bird talks ' in schools. The School Superintendent so arranges 

 that the talks work in with the nature study the pupils are doing 

 in their regular school routine. There were seven of us giving 

 talks last spring, and from chance meetings with them I find that 

 they all feel that this work among the pupils is of great value. 

 Pupils give close and intense attention to ' bird talks,' lasting from 

 thirty to forty-five minutes ; they stay after the talk, and school is 

 dismissed, to ask questions about the birds they have seen, nests 

 they have found. The teachers enjoy the work almost as much 

 as the pupils ; through this w^ork a good deal is achieved for the 

 birds, but as one watches the interest and enthusiasm developed 

 by the boys and girls, one cannot but see that the study of the 

 birds does much for them. I was pushing my wheel along the 

 banks of a creek in one of the parks, when two boys came running 

 toward me and called as soon as within hailing distance to know 

 if I was not the lady who talked about the birds to school 38. As 

 soon as I said that I was they shouted 'Wait a minute; we'll 

 boost your wheel up that bank for you,' and they not only 

 ' boosted ' the wheel but staid with me all afternoon, and I learned 

 while with them how very much the bird work does in the way of 

 broadening the horizon for these little ones who have so little of 

 opportunity and know so little how to use what they have. Some 

 of the teachers told me that the pupils had been impatient more 

 than a month for their ' bird lecturer.' As far as we can, the 

 State Society tries to have the bird talks given in the schools 

 throughout the State ; they were given in a good many schools 

 last year, other than Indianapolis schools, and will be given in 

 more next year. 



" Prof. Amos W. Butler is one of our strong working members, 

 and as Secretary of the State Board of Charities is about the 

 State a good deal ; incidentally, he gets in touch with a good 

 many people interested in bird work and serves as a sort of Field 

 Secretary for the Audubon Society ; besides this, he starts, at 

 every opportunity, an interest where none exists. 



"Besides the school work and the work of the various societies 

 and individuals we have attempted some work through the press. 

 The newspapers are glad to publish anything of interest we can 

 furnish them. 



