)1. XX"| i)i -ixiiKK, Refort of Committee on Bird Protection. I I 



1903 J ■^ I J 



Vol 

 '903 



neighbors and the State. The protection of birds, from the 

 economic standpoint, is as much a civic duty as voting honestly 

 and intelligently. The A. O. U. and the Audubon Societies are 

 the forces to do the work, but from the citizen who realizes his 

 civic obligations must come the means. 



The work accomplished during the past twelve months is given 

 in detail under three heads, viz., (i) Legislation, (2) Warden 

 System, and (3) Audubon Work. 



The results are given by States, in order that the citizens of 

 each may see all that has been done for the birds of their Common- 

 wealth. 



Arkansas. 



Legislation. — The bird law is very satisfactory; the only im- 

 provement that can be suggested is to remove all of the beneficial 

 hawks and owls from the excepted species, leaving only such as 

 have been proved to be harmful by the investigations of the U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture. 



Warden System. — No wardens are employed under the Thayer 

 Fund. 



Audubon Work. — There is no Society at present in the State, 

 although the subject of organizing one has been under considera- 

 tion for some time and possibly may be accomplished in 1903. 

 An active and efficient member of the A. O. U. Protection Com- 

 mittee, Mrs. Louise McGown Stephenson, resides in Arkansas and 

 she reports the following results: "Although my efforts toward 

 organizing an Audubon Society in the State have been fruitless so 

 far, there is no doubt that the subject of bird protection has been 

 brought to the minds of a great number of people during the past 

 year, and in such a manner that I can really see its effects. A 

 case that attracted a great deal of attention, because of its unusual 

 character, was that against a young man charged with caging a 

 mockingbird, in violation of the statute. A fine of ^3.00 and costs 

 was imposed and paid and the bird was released. In May, I read 

 a paper, ' The Economic Value of Birds', before the Arkansas 

 State Federation of Women's Clubs, and exhibited the Audubon 

 Bird Charts, and distributed many copies of the A. O. U. Protec- 



