Vol. XX 

 igo4 



n DUTCHER, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I ^I 



knowledge put in popular form that the citizens should have, 

 -especially those that live in the rural districts, or are interested in 

 any branch of agriculture. It would be a very wise expenditure of 

 public money for every State to follow the example set by Pennsyl- 

 vania and Delaware. 



Rhode Island. — Legislation. — There was no change in the 

 law at the session of the legislature. At the next session an efifort 

 should be made to protect all the beneficial hawks and owls. 

 Sessions of the legislature are held annually. 



Warden systetn. — No wardens were employed by the Thayer 

 Fund. 



Audubon work. — The Secretary reports: "The work of the 

 year has been confined to the regular work of the Board of Directors 

 and of the various committees. We have seven local secretaries 

 in the State. Our traveling lecture has been used in many places 

 and our library is constantly loaned. In Providence two lectures 

 have been given under the auspices of the society, ' The Bird Life 

 of Islands,' by Mr. Frank M. Chapman, and another by Mr. F. 

 Schuyler Mathews. We have assisted financially in placing bird 

 charts in the country schools of the State. 



"A millinery committee has sent circulars to all the local milli- 

 ners, but it was thought best not to go on with the work when the 

 Board of Directors voted to concur in the action of the National 

 "Committee and the Milliners' Protective Association. 



" We have distributed Audubon literature throughout the year. 



" For the coming year the Board of Directors feel strongly that 

 our work should be chiefly in the line of strengthening our own 

 Society by appointing more local secretaries, by securing new 

 members, and stimulating interest throughout the State. We have 

 been asked by the Bird Commissioners to assist them by securing 

 deputies in various towns. We are at present striving to find per- 

 sons ready to act in this capacity." 



Later the Secretary wrote: " Since I sent the report of our Society 

 we have secured four new local secretaries in towns previously 

 without branches and have aided the Bird Commissioner in finding 

 persons to act as deputies. Just at present there is a good deal of 

 interest in bird protection because of the wholesale slaughter of 

 Robins and other song birds by Italians." 



