°g 55 J Report of Committee o>i Bird Protection. (S 'I 



Massachusetts. 



Audubon work in Massachusetts has advanced more rapidly 

 and has attained a higher degree of efficiency than in any other 

 portion of the country. The Secretary of the Society, Miss 

 Harriet E. Richards, sends the following interesting statement of 

 the work done by that Society during the past year, and of its 

 present status. 



"The Massachusetts Audubon Society began to enroll members 

 February lo, 1896, each person paying one dollar for life-mem- 

 bership, excepting teachers and scholars, who paid twenty-five 

 cents. February 10, 1897, the Directors reduced the membership 

 fee to twenty-five cents, and created two new classes of members, 

 viz., Associates, to pay one dollar annually, and Life Associates, to 

 pay not less than twenty-five dollars at one time. The Associates 

 are to be notified of all meetings and to receive all publications 

 by mail. All the publications are free to members upon appli- 

 cation. This plan of membership was inaugurated to induce 

 more people to join as working members, and also to insure a 

 permanent fund. While we realized the need of such a work, we 

 did not know that so much interest would be taken in it by all 

 classes, and so many ways opened to extend it. 



"March 15, 1897, the day the new membership fee came into 

 operation, the Society had 1284 members, 358 of which were 

 school mera'bers. October 15, 1897, there were 183 1 members, 

 364 associates, and 23 life associates. The Society has no local 

 secretaries. 



" In response to a Bird Day circular that we issued in March, 

 we received letters from about twenty teachers, telling of the suc- 

 cess of the plan in their schools. The past year the Secretary 

 has addressed twenty-two clubs, schools, and societies in the 

 interest of the work. 



" We have freely distributed a circular stating the purpose of 

 the society ; also the following named leaflets : ' To the Members' ; 

 ' Hints to Bird Students ' ; 'To Save Our Birds ' ; ' The Balti- 

 more Oriole ' ; and a card entitled ' The Bird's Christmas.' Also 

 a Bird Day circular, reprinted from the Journal of Education ; 

 Miss Merriam's ' How Birds affect the Farm and Garden ' ; Mr. 



