﻿262 Bird -Lore 



" Mr. Charles L. Freer gave $25 for the protection of game-birds at the 

 St. Clair Flats. Deputy Sheriff Frank Haydette, of Algonac, was employed, 

 and in various trips seized game-birds in trunks, etc., but could find no 

 owners. In these trips he also seized two fishing nets, and so we were able 

 to protect the fish incidentally. The secretary is in correspondence with 

 those deputy wardens who show any disposition to enforce the law, and 

 encourages them by showing that their efforts are appreciated. 



" About the best word that can be said for the Michigan Society is that 

 it has done something in getting a semblance of order out of chaos, and in 

 securing the passage of the Model Law, which has undoubtedly improved 

 the situation. Candor, however, obliges us to say that we have made but 

 a beginning and that there is still an immense amount of work to be done. 

 We feel grateful to Albert Wiedeman, county game warden, at Leoni, for 

 prosecuting for the killing of Robins, especially as he had reason to fear 

 a physical assault which subsequently took place. Also to Frank L. Covert, 

 prosecuting attorney of Oakland county, who was the first of those in his 

 position to write that he believed in the law and would enforce it. His 

 letter to an offender, who was shooting song-birds daily, for the purpose of 

 feeding his ferrets, brought results. 



" The secretary has been obliged to give considerable time in carrying 

 on correspondence with state workers, for, unless letters are answered 

 promptly, and in detail, the workers lose interest. The secretary is compil- 

 ing a booklet, including a history of the Society, a copy of the state laws, 

 conditions in other states, methods of work, needs in the different localities, 

 etc., which it is hoped will answer all questions and give all necessary direc- 

 tions for work. The Michigan State Fair is held in Detroit, and the man- 

 agement has been kind enough to give our Society space for the purpose of 

 distributing literature, etc. We had a call for Audubon buttons. The phil- 

 osophy of wearing a button is that those not familiar with its meaning open 

 up a conversation on bird protection, where the matter otherwise could not 

 be broached. The merchants, in the cities of the state, persist in selling bird 

 millinery in opposition to the law. We are now planning a letter to these 

 dealers. We are opposed to the law allowing counties to give a bounty on 

 English Sparrows, as we find that native Sparrows, including Goldfinches, 

 are destroyed in the winter season as English Sparrows." — Jefferson 

 Butler, Secretary. 



Minnesota. — "The Minnesota Audubon Society has not been espe- 

 cially active the past year. Whatever work has been done in the state is 

 due to the efforts of individual societies or clubs, and persons especially 

 interested in bird study or bird protection. Some societies are quite active. 



" In some parts of the state the study of birds is taken up in the pub- 

 lic schools : the children, after becoming interested, do not care to kill the 



