10 THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 



be laid waste by insect pests. But we owe them a great- 

 er debt even than this, for the study of birds tends to de- 

 velop some of the best attributes and impulses of our 

 natures. Among them we find examples of generosity, 

 unselfish devotion of the love of mother for offspring 

 and other estimable qualities. Their industry, patience, and 

 ingenuity excite our admiration ; their songs inspire us with 

 a love of music and poetry ; their beautiful plumages 

 and graceful manners appeal to our esthetic sense; their 

 long migrations to distant lands stimulate our imagina- 

 tions and tempt us to inquire into the causes of these 

 periodic movements, and finally, the endless modifications 

 of form and habits by which they are enabled to live 

 under most diverse conditions of food and climate on 

 land and at sea invite the student of nature into inex- 

 haustible fields of pleasurable research. 



The cause of bird protection is one that appeals to the 

 best side of our natures. Let us yield to the appeal. 

 Let us have a Bird Day a day set apart from all the 

 other days of the year to tell the children about the birds. 

 But we must not stop here. We should strive continu- 

 ally to develop and intensify the sentiment of bird protec- 

 tion, not alone for the sake of preserving the birds, but also 

 for the sake of replacing as far as possible the barbaric im- 

 pulses inherent in child nature by the nobler impulses and 

 aspirations that should characterize advanced civilization. 

 Kespectfully, J. STERLING MORTON, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



Of the success of this first experiment there can be no 

 question. "The day was observed in the Oil City schools 

 with a degree of enthusiasm which was good to see. 

 The amount of information about birds that was collected 

 by the children was simply amazing. Original composi- 

 tions were read, informal discussions were held, talks by 

 teachers were given, and the birds in literature were not 

 forgotten or overlooked. * The idea simply needs 



to be known to meet with a warm welcome akin to that 

 with which we greet our first robin or song sparrow in the 

 spring." (Journal of Education, May 24, 1894.) 



Bird Day was observed in 1895 and again on May 8, 

 1896, with such success that it bids fair to become a regular 



