The Audubon Societies 



321 



Indiana's Good Example 



The perennial vigor of the Indiana 

 State Audubon Society was shown in its 

 May meeting, this year, at Evansville. 

 This society profits by the policy of hold- 

 ing its annual meetings in different cities, 

 thus stimulating interest throughout the 

 state. Evansville was a fortunate choice, 

 since Audubon himself lived and studied 

 in that neighborhood for several years 

 previous to 1824. 



The visiting state society was publicly 

 welcomed in Evansville at the evening 

 meeting on April 30, and the retiring 

 president, William Watson Woollen, made 

 a historical address. This was followed 

 by an illustrated lecture on local birds by 

 Amos W. Butler; and this and the other 

 meetings were enlivened by music. On 

 the morning of May i, "bird-talks" were 

 given in every school, public or private, 

 in the city, and much enthusiasm was 

 aroused among the children. 



This is a feature of the program which 

 might well be imitated elsewhere. 



The afternoon of this pleasant day was 

 devoted to an excursion to Henderson, 

 where the house in which Audubon lived, 

 and the foundation of the mill that em- 

 barrassed him during many troublous 

 years, may still be seen. 



The presence of Miss Harriet Audubon, 

 granddaughter of the ornithologist, among 

 the guests, added peculiar interest to this 

 excursion. In the evening, addresses were 

 given by Dr. D. W. Dennis, of Earlham 

 College, and by Prof. Stanley Coulter, of 

 Purdue University, the latter discussing 

 methods of bird-work in the schools. All 

 of the sessions were largely attended. 

 Professor Coulter was elected president of 

 the state society, and Miss Elizabeth 

 Downhour reelected secretary. The Evans- 

 ville society has as president George S. 

 Clifford, and as secretary. Miss Lida Ed- 

 wards. Dr. Eugene Swope, the National 

 Association's field-agent for Ohio, attended 

 the meetings, and sent to the home office 

 the photograph of some of the prominent 

 members present, which is reproduced in 

 this issue. 



Bobolinks May Be Slaughtered 



It is with profound regret we learn that 

 those responsible for making the regula- 

 tions under the McLean Migratory-Bird 

 Law have been forced by pressure from 

 the killers of song-birds to open wide the 

 door permitting the killing of Bobolinks 

 in certain states where they were protected 

 last year. 



It will be recalled that, under present 

 state laws. Bobolinks could still be killed 

 in several eastern and southern states. 

 Under the Federal regulations, which 

 went into operation last year, the slaugh- 

 ter was made illegal in much of this ter- 

 ritory. 



Gunners in certain parts of Delaware, 

 eastern Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, 

 who represented only seven counties, have 

 had all this upset, and on September i, 

 1914, the old system of butchering Bobo- 

 links will go on as before, if President 

 Wilson signs this new order. Below is a 

 "news-letter" recently sent to the daily 

 papers by the government oflScials who 

 have authorized this backward step, as we 

 strongly feel it to be: 



Washington, D. C. — Notices have been 

 issued by the U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture calling attention to a proposed 

 amendment in the federal regulations for 

 the protection of migratory, insectivorous 

 birds. Under the new rule, reed- or rice- 

 birds can be shot in September and 

 October in the states of New Jersey, 

 Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, 

 the District of Columbia, Virginia and 

 South Carolina. The law requires three 

 months' notice of this change. If it is 

 decided to adopt it, the rule will be 

 officially promulgated at the end of that 

 time, and will go into effect on September 

 I, 1914. 



The effect of this change will be to 

 extend to sportsmen in New Jersey, 

 Pennsylvania, and Delaware the privilege 

 of shooting the birds during a period of 

 two months. This they may now do in 

 Maryland, the District of Columbia, Vir- 

 ginia, and South Carolina. As the sea- 

 son is so short, it is not believ^ed that the 

 birds will suffer appreciably in numbers. 

 In the late summer and early fall they 

 migrate to the far south, where they are 

 known as reed- or rice-birds. They are 

 regarded in the states where they can 

 now be shot as offering good sport. 



