﻿State Reports 269 



General, have been sent to all country post-offices in the state, with the 

 request that they be posted; 2,500 Educational Leaflets have been sent to 

 individuals throughout the state; every woman in our city, as far as pos- 

 sible, who wears or would be likely to wear an aigrette, has been fur- 

 nished with an Educational Leaflet on the subject. 



'Our Society, through the late Col. L. L. Hawkins, gave $100, divided 

 into three prizes, to the boys of the public schools who made bird-nesting 

 boxes best adapted to the needs of the birds; the result was pleasing. 

 Another member of the Society made her annual gift of twenty-five dollars 

 given to the ninth grade of the public schools for the best essay on ' Our 

 Native Birds.' 



' The following is a report of results of last year's work among the sea- 

 birds of the Oregon coast, and in southern Oregon: The past year has 

 shown marked improvement in bird protection in the state of Oregon. A 

 year ago, Mr. Finley and Mr. Bohlman spent two months in the lake 

 region of southern Oregon investigating conditions among the great colo- 

 nies of water-birds in that locality. They found that after the years of 

 slaughter among the Grebe colonies, the professional hunters had almost 

 exterminated these beautiful birds in certain localities. But the traffic in 

 Grebe skins for millinery purposes was given an effective blow when the 

 Audubon Society in New York got the Wholesale Milliners' Association to 

 forbid the sale of Grebe skins. Except perhaps for a few isolated cases, 

 there have been comparatively few Grebes and Terns killed for their skins 

 during the past year. It is difficult to give careful protection to the bird 

 colonies on their breeding grounds owing to the extensive range of the 

 country. 



By far the most important result in the protection of the water-birds 

 of southern Oregon has been brought about during the past season. For 

 years past, these lakes have been used by market hunters who have shipped 

 over a hundred tons of Ducks a season from one place. But since publicity 

 was given the report made by Messrs. Finley and Bohlman, the game 

 wardens have made a determined effort to stop the traffic. Last winter they 

 captured the first wagon-load of Ducks sent out and prosecuted the offen- 

 ders. They continued keeping close watch and, with the aid of the express 

 company through which the birds were shipped, they succeeded in breaking 

 up the traffic completely during the past season. 



"Concerning the great sea-bird colonies along the Oregon coast, as 

 far as can be ascertained, the traffic in Murre's eggs that was formerly 

 carried on in southern Oregon has been broken up by guarding the San 

 Francisco market where these eggs were shipped. The great breeding 

 colonies on Three Arch Rocks have not been molested. 



One of the worst flaws in caring for the wild birds of our state, and 

 one of the things that it is hoped can soon be remedied, is the lack of pro- 



