72 



Bird - Lore 



BELATED STATE REPORTS 



The following reports of State Audubon 

 Societies were received too late to be 

 published with others in -the Annual 

 Report of the National Association in the 

 November-December issue of Bird-Lore. 



Florida. — The Annual Meeting on 

 March ii, at Maitland, was a large and 

 enthusiastic gathering. Dr. William F. 

 Blackman presided. It was with regret 

 that the resignation of Mrs. L. P. Bronson 

 was accepted. Mrs. Bronson had been 

 treasurer since the foundation of the 

 Society, and had rendered most faithful 

 and efl&cient service. The proposed act of 

 the Legislature to remove the Turkey 

 Buzzard from the list of protected birds 

 was discussed, resulting in a vote to send 

 a printed protest over the state. Although 

 the bill passed, an amendment offering 

 twenty-five cents for the head of every 

 Turkey Buzzard shot was defeated. 



Mr. Scott Way and Mrs. Vanderpool, 

 Secretary, have distributed 2,000 copies of 

 a bulletin entitled "Summary of the Bird 

 Laws of Florida and the Federal Regula- 

 tions Relating to Migratory Birds." A 

 card, giving the most recent game-laws, 

 has been printed for posting, and one 

 thousand have been sent to post-ofi&ces, 

 railroad stations, stores, and hotels, and 

 to sheriffs and game-wardens. At the 

 state fair in Orlando an exhibit of charts, 

 drawings, and leaflets illustrating the 

 work of the Society was attractively 

 arranged. There are thirty-eight Junior 

 Classes. Dr. H. R. Mills, of the State 

 Board of Health, is president of the branch 

 at Tampa, which has a large membership 

 and is doing excellent work on the West 

 Coast. Mrs. Katherine B. Tippetts, as 

 president of the branch at St. Petersburg, 

 reports frequent and interesting meetings. 

 Prizes are given to children for bird-study, 

 bird-houses and bird-protection. A year- 

 book is published. The Humane Society 

 acts with the Audubon Society in enfor- 

 cing the law as to unlicensed cats. Some 

 fines are collected, some arrests made. 



A few months ago a man about to ship a 

 box of live Pelicans from Bird Key was 

 arrested, when it was discovered that his 

 "scientific purpose" license was dated 

 1902. He was fined $5 for each bird, and 

 made to return them to the Key. 



Mrs. Minnie Moore Wilson, President 

 of the branch at Kissimmi, reports an 

 increase of all birds during the year. Mrs. 

 Julia A. Hanson, local secretary at Fort 

 Meyers, has extended Audubon interest 

 not only in her county, but in the state. 

 Bobolinks were first observed here on 

 August 24, although the usual date of 

 their appearance at Fort Meyers is August 

 30. There seems to be a continuous stream 

 of them at night, and many pass by day. 

 Bird Day is observed in most of the schools 

 in Lee County. We are fortunate to have 

 Stanley Hanson appointed Federal Inspec- 

 tor of Birds in Florida. 



Mrs. Algernon Haden, local secretary 

 of Orlando, has continued to have super- 

 vision of schools, and of any violations of 

 bird-laws. The Palmetto Club at Daytona 

 has organized a bird-protection commit- 

 tee. Dr. Frank M. Chapman gave an 

 interesting address last winter before this 

 club. On April 16, 1915, the Cocoanut 

 Grove Audubon Society, which will 

 federate with the State Society, was organ- 

 ized by Mrs. Kirk Munroe, who became 

 its first president. Meetings are held 

 monthly, and the field includes the whole 

 country. Junior Classes have been formed 

 and subjects for study issued in a leaflet. 

 All schools join in these studies, for which 

 prizes are offered. The Florida Federa- 

 tion of Women's Clubs takes an active 

 interest in bird-protection. Two prizes 

 of $2 each were given to the pupils of the 

 Robert Hungerford School at Eatonville 

 for bird-study papers. The abolishing, 

 by an act of the Legislature, of the office 

 of the Florida Game Commissioner is a 

 retrograde step for the state, and one that 

 is regretted by all interested in bird- 

 preservation. — Mrs. Kingsmill Marrs, 

 Chairman Executive Committee. 



