lora J DuTCHER, Report of Committee on Bird Protection. I 2 ■? 



is a pleasure to me to encourage this work, which I hope in tlie 

 future to carry on in a more systematic manner.' 



"The membership of our Society is about 400 ; lately some 230 

 circular letters soliciting membership have been sent out and it is 

 hoped good results will follow. When we realize what interest 

 has been developed since the Society was organized in igoo, 

 especially among the educational classes, we feel we are furthering 

 bird protection." 



Illinois. 



Legislation. — The bird law is satisfactory, as it embraces nearly 

 all of the A. O. U. model law. 



Warden System, — No wardens were employed by the Thayer 

 Fund. 



Audubon Work. — This is one of the larger and more aggressive 

 societies, especially in its activity against the sale of illegal millinery 

 goods in Chicago. It reports a membership of 14,272, and that it 

 has distributed several thousand leaflets, of which 1,000 were sent 

 to milliners and contained the portion of the law bearing on their 

 work. Slides to illustrate a bird lecture have been prepared, and 

 it is expected that a traveling lecture outfit will shortly be in use- 

 It also has two traveling libraries in circulation. 



Convictions for violation of the bird law have been obtained 

 through the Game Commissioner and his wardens. An effort will 

 be made to have a law passed establishing a Bird Day in con- 

 junction with Arbor Day. The President of the Society has 

 examined the stock of a number of Chicago millinery houses to 

 point out illegal plumage. The proprietors of a number of these 

 houses have written letters to the executive officers of the Society 

 expressing full sympathy with Audubon work and also promising 

 not to sell any North American birds. The National Committee 

 leaflet, 'Ornithology in the Schools,' will be distributed by the 

 Superintendent to teachers in the State. The Society will also 

 have printed an ' Outline of Bird Study '; this outline has been in 

 part printed by the Illinois Federation of Women's Clubs, in one 

 of its hand books under programs for study classes, and was there 

 credited to the Audubon Society. During the past year one leaflet 



