IIO Report of Committee on Bird Protection. TAuk' 



collecting eggs under the following order : " The Board desires 

 that the lighthouse keepers shall be prohibited from engaging in 

 the business of collecting or selling wild birds' eggs on these, 

 islands, in any form." Signed, Geo. F. F. Wilde, Commander, etc.. 

 At the suggestion of Mr. Anthony, your Chairman addressed a 

 letter to Porfirio Diaz, President of the Republic of Mexico, call- 

 ing his attention to the fact that white and Indian hunters from 

 the United States were visiting Mexico for the purpose of plume 

 hunting. It was called particularly to his attention that Mexico 

 derived no benefit from the traffic, but suffered a direct loss. No 

 response to this appeal was received, but as it was quite detailed, 

 it no doubt had its effect. 



North Carolina. 



Mr. T. K. Bruner, Secretary of the North Carolina Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, attempted in the last session of the legisla- 

 ture to have an act for the preservation of birds passed. . The' 

 penalties were a little too severe for the temper of the people, so 

 the passage was lost. The next session of the legislature is not 

 held until January, 1899. 



In its report for 1896 your Committee stated that it firmly 

 believed that the true solution of the problem!. would be. the educa- 

 tion of the children of our schools in every grade from the kin-: 

 dergarten to the college, not only in the Eesthetic but the eco- 

 nomic value of our birds. They are ^ more firmly convinced that 

 this is the true solution than ever before'. Everything points to 

 it as the only means through which the desired end may be 

 attained. It is found to be extremely difficult to convince the 

 great bulk of the adults of the present day of the economic value 

 of birds, and that they should not be destroyed. In a generation 

 it will be possible to so change this sentiment that every adult 

 will recognize the importance of birds as aids in preserving the 

 economic balance of nature. 



Miss Merriam, of our Committee, who unfortunately is not 

 able to be present at this meeting, very forcibly expressed her 

 sentiments on this subject in the following letter ; it is so 

 earnestly and clearly expressed that I submit it in detail : 



