ii6 



Bird - Lore 



newly formed organization at Fort Myers. 

 The moving spirit is Dr. George H. Stone, 

 who with good judgment and knowledge 

 is going about his task with full realization 

 of the opposition he will have to meet. 

 This bill is for the establishment of a 

 State Game Commission and State Warden 

 Force. Some years ago the writer cooper- 

 ated with the Florida Audubon Society in 

 working personally with the members of 

 the Legislature in Tallahassee and suc- 

 ceeded in getting a State Game Warden 

 Force established. Two years later, how- 

 ever, the law was repealed. Still later, 

 with the splendid aid of Dr. Williams S. 

 Blackman, then President of the Florida 

 Audubon Society, we were able to induce 

 the Legislature to again provide for a 

 Game Commission, but the Governor 

 vetoed the bill. So at the present time, 

 with the exception of some county wardens 

 who are practically worthless, so far as 

 enforcing the law is concerned, there are no 

 wardens in the state but those employed 

 by this Association and a few provided 

 by the Federal Government. In the mean- 

 time the game of Florida is fast disap- 

 pearing. 



In New York State a bill is pending 

 which if passed will practically wipe out 

 the splendid force of more than a hundred 

 experienced game protectors, and turn the 

 protection of game over to the State Police. 

 It is inconceivable that the New York 

 Legislature should adopt such a measure or 

 if adopted that the Governor would sign it. 



We have had much correspondence 

 with people in Missouri where those 

 supposed to be interested in the protection 

 of wild life appear to be having royal 

 battles, one group wanting to change the 

 game laws and the other group wanting 

 them to remain as they are. 



The Association has maintained a lobby- 

 ist at the Massachusetts Legislature. At 

 this writing nothing of a specially detri- 

 mental character has occurred there. On 

 the other hand, it is pleasing to note that 

 the prospects are good for getting an 

 appropriation of $4,000 to allow Mr. For- 

 bush to go ahead with having drawings 

 made for his monumental book on the birds 



of Massachusetts. Another important 

 game and bird bill in which we were ac- 

 tively interested was successfully con- 

 ducted through the New Mexico Legisla- 

 ture of the New Mexico Game Protective 

 Association under the able leadership of 

 our friend Mr. Leopold. 



In Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsyl- 

 vania, Arkansas, Kansas and some other 

 states, the subject of encouraging the kill- 

 ing of Crows, Hawks, and Owls by offering 

 bounties has been up for consideration. 

 These measures in some places are being 

 backed up by the organized sportsmen's 

 Associations, and it is regrettable to note 

 that in some instances they appear not 

 to recognize the fact that some species 

 of Hawks and Owls are beneficial to 

 man's interests, and on the other hand 

 rarely if ever destroy game birds or game 

 animals. 



The subject of cat legislation is, of course, 

 again under consideration in many parts 

 of the country, just as it is every year when 

 legislatures are in session. 



To keep track of these various measures 

 or even to handle the correspondence that 

 reaches the office of the National Associa- 

 tion in reference to state legislation is 

 enough to keep one man busy. 



Good Work in Baltimore 



The Maryland Audubon Society, under 

 the energetic leadership of its President, 

 Mrs. Baker Hull, is very active in bird 

 work. Under the auspices of the Society, 

 Chalmers Brumbaugh has given a course 

 of public lectures on bird study and numer- 

 ous field trips have been taken. Recently 

 the Society secured from the ofi&ce of the 

 National Association a field glass and a 

 series of fourteen bird books which will be 

 offered as prizes in a bird-box contest that 

 will be held among the young people of 

 Baltimore. By an arrangement with the 

 State Conservation Commission of Mary- 

 land, the boxes will be placed in the Loch 

 Raven watershed territdry where they will 

 be of practical use in suppl3dng homes and 

 roosting places for the hole-loving birds 

 of that interesting region. 



