The Audubon Societies 



405 



GENERAL NOTES 



Watchfulness in Pennsylvania 



The Audubon Plumage Law in Penn- 

 sylvania, enacted April 13, 1913, after a 

 a memorable campaign, forbade offering 

 for sale, or having in possession for that 

 purpose, after July i, 19 14, any feathers 

 of wild birds belonging to any family of 

 birds represented in the bird-life of the 

 state. As the time approached when this 

 prohibition was to go into effect, Dr. 

 Joseph H. Kalbfus, Secretary of the State 

 Board of Game Commissioners, sent to 

 all dealers a circular explaining the law, 

 and warning them against its violation. 

 The effect of this kindly act, together 

 with the vigilance of the officers concerned 

 in its enforcement, has been most satis- 

 factory. Dr. Kalbfus informs us that with 

 few exceptions the law has been obeyed. 

 "We have had some few prosecutions 

 here and there," he says. "We are work- 

 ing up cases at this time against men who, 

 we are informed, are determined to violate 

 the law. I believe we are in position to 

 say that but few egret plumes will be sold 

 in Pennsylvania after this date." 



Success to Blue Bird 



The beautiful and artistic magazine 

 Blue Bird, which is edited and published 

 by our Ohio Field Agent, Dr. Eugene 

 Swope, of Cincinnati, continues to grow 

 rapidly in attractiveness and usefulness. 

 While it covers, more or less particularly, 

 all of the more engaging fields of natural 

 history, it deals especially with the wild 

 bird-life of the gardens and fields. The 

 magazine is devoted more especially to the 

 interests of the Junior Audubon Society 

 members, yet adults, as well as children, 

 take a keen interest in its pages. Dr. 

 Swope is to be congratulated on a new 

 acquisition to his editorial staff in the 

 person of that entertaining and pictur- 

 esque field ornithologist, Oscar E. Bay- 

 nard, of Clearwater, Florida. 



More power and success to the Blue 

 Birdt 



Connecticut Regaining Sea-birds 



The marked increase this year of water- 

 birds along the Connecticut shore of Long 

 Island Sound can be accounted for in no 

 other way than as a result of the protec- 

 tion afforded them in recent years by the 

 National Association of Audubon Socie- 

 ties. Off Norwalk, Connecticut, for years 

 an occasional Corhmon Tern would be 

 found in midsummer sitting on the oyster- 

 stakes. This year Terns have appeared 

 in great numbers, more than fifty in a 

 flock being common; and Wilbur F. Smith 

 reports that a large and prosperous new 

 colony has bred on Goose Island, off 

 Madison. Herring Gulls also were com- 

 mon off Norwalk during all the past sum- 

 mer. A flock of more than a hundred 

 Laughing Gulls clustered about Smith's 

 Ledge, near Stamford, Connecticut, on 

 August 10 and 11, and among them were 

 many immature birds. Petrels occurred 

 in considerable numbers on Long Island 

 Sound, twenty being counted in two 

 hours, and one of them was Wilson's 

 Petrel. 



A Splendid Work 



Many wonderfully interesting develop- 

 ments in the field of bird-study and bird- 

 protection have occurred lately. One 

 which gives promise of resulting in an 

 immense amount of good is that originated 

 by H. Rief, game warden at Seattle, 

 Washington. Mr. Rief has begun the 

 organization of the boys of that part of 

 the state into "Junior Game Wardens." 

 Company A now consists of one hundred 

 bright, ambitious boys, varying in age 

 from eight to twenty years. Each member 

 of the company wears a badge, and is 

 pledged to learn the names and habits of 

 the wild birds, to serve as a scout to detect 

 violators of the game-law, and see that 

 they are brought to justice. The boys 

 have been having some splendid field- 

 trips of late, and each one carries a note- 

 book for recording observations. "All 

 have given their word that they will be 



