434 Bird - Lore 



proceeded to tell me how he had seen, while returning home from carrying 

 newspapers in this city, a boy with a gun pointed toward a tree and about 

 to shoot a bird. He called out "Don't shoot, wait a minute," and while say- 

 ing this he picked up a stone and threw it up in the tree frightening the bird 

 away so that the boy could not shoot it. Then the boy with the gun was very 

 angry and shouted, "What did you do that for?" and, to quote literally from 

 the letter, the rescuer replied; "You ought to join the Audubon Society and 

 learn how useful the birds are." 



"You go 'long about your business," was the angry retort. 



"This is my business, saving birds." 



In addition to my lectures I have sent out nearly 200 letters and parcels 

 of literature, and have written nineteen articles on birds since March 6. My 

 husband joined in giving a prize of a $15 Martin-house to the school in Rush- 

 ville whose pupils identified and reported the largest number of migrating 

 birds between March i and April 22. The prize was awarded to the Graham 

 Annex, and the raising of the Martin-house on the school-grounds was a 

 pleasant incident in the program of the annual convention of the Indiana 

 Audubon Society, held in Rushville, April 27 to 29, and largely attended. 



REPORT OF WILLIAM L. FINLEY, FIELD AGENT FOR 

 THE PACIFIC COAST STATES 



The proposal to drain Malheur Lake to make more agricultural land in 

 southeastern Oregon has threatened during the past year to put an end to the 

 most important breeding-place for wildfowl in the United States. This matter 

 will soon come before the State Land Board of Oregon. Mr. Pearson recently 

 made an inspection of Malheur Lake Reservation and found it very question- 

 able whether the alkali-soaked soil of the lake-bed could ever be of any use for 

 agricultural purposes; while, on the other hand, this extensive alkali marsh is 

 of great value as a wildfowl nursery. Every effort will be made, therefore, to 

 save Malheur Lake as a wild-bird reservation. 



During the past year, the season has been a very successful one for the 

 increase of bird-life on Three Arch Rocks Reservation, as well as on the 

 Klamath Reservation. A tour of inspection was made in August of Three 

 Arch Rocks Reservation by Mr. Pearson, Mr. Bohlman, Mr. Horsfall, and 

 your agent. (See pages 421 and 424.) 



More than ten years ago the National Association purchased a small 

 patrol-boat for Lower Klamath Lake. This has been in constant use since, but 

 is now worn out. The appropriation of $600 by the National Association for 

 a new boat will make it possible to continue the guarding of these bird-colonies 

 in this region of southern Oregon and northern California, and is greatly appre- 

 ciated by bird-lovers on the Pacific coast. 



In the Junior Audubon work, there has been a material increase in members, 



