﻿228 Bird -Lore 



the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals, an Association organized pursuant to and 

 in conformity with an act of the Legislature of the State of New York, passed May 8, 1895, 

 and entitled 'An Act Relating to Membership Corporations,' on condition that the said 

 one-half of my residuary estate shall be held by the said Association in trust, however, for 

 the purposes of its incorporation, provided, however, that one-half of the income derived 

 therefrom shall be applied to the protection of bird and animal life as provided in the Cer- 

 tificate of Incorporation of said Association, and that the other half of said income, so far 

 as needed, may be applied to the employment of solicitors who shall seek permanent 

 endowments for the general benefit and purposes of the aforesaid Association. . . . 

 In case the said National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds 

 and Animals cannot or shall not accept the trust on the aforesaid terms and conditions, 

 then I direct and empower my Executors and Trustees to select and designate such other 

 Society, Association or Corporation as in the judgment of my Executors and Trustees 

 is best qualified to protect wild animals and bird-life in North America and elsewhere; and 

 I hereby give, devise and bequeath to such Society, Association or Institution so selected, 

 this one-half of my residuary estate on the foregoing terms and conditions." 



The wishes of Mr. Willcox were so plainly expressed in his last will and 

 testament, that this Association should not cease striving to increase its 

 permanent endowment, that I think we, as members, are morally bound to 

 do all we personally and collectively can to carry out the desire he so plainly 

 expressed. 



The work of the National Association is that of grown men and women. 

 It is not a fad nor an ephemeral movement, but it is an undertaking seeking 

 truth in a spirit of fairness and justice. It proposes to protect and preserve 

 the wild life of this continent and, so far as it can, of the world, until such 

 time as careful and exact scientific study can determine the value to the 

 human race of all wild creatures, and to this end it is the purpose of this 

 Society to prevent, by all lawful means, the selfish and wasteful practices that 

 have so long been in vogue. The blind rage and reckless abuse of our critics 

 will have no further effect on us than to make us more firm in our purpose. 



THE YEAR'S WORK 



The most important result accomplished is the increasing interest of the 

 public and its growing sympathy with the objects of the Association. This 

 is due to the aid given by the press and to the great amount of bird litera- 

 ture distributed by the State and National Audubon Societies. As much of 

 this material is educational in character and goes to country schools, it has 

 a two-fold effect ; first, on the pupil, and, through him, to the home, where 

 the parents learn of the value of the birds. 



Not the least of the good results accomplished is the payment of a debt 

 owed by the Society to the widow and orphans of our murdered warden, 

 Guy Morrell Bradley. The generosity of our members has enabled the 

 Society, through a special fund of $1873.40, to purchase, in the city of Key 

 West, a very comfortable house and a lot 40 x 90 feet. This was put in 



