Bird Clubs in America 61 



be short, may be interrupted by remarks or queries, and are followed by 

 informal discussion in which the juveniles are led to join freely. 



9. Field trips led by experts for the benefit of amateurs. 



10. Annual meetings of a more pretentious character illustrative of 

 the year's work, with social and gastronomic attractions. 



It may be objected by would-be club promoters that the first two 

 secrets of our success as above given are not attainable by the average 

 club. As to the first, however, it is most essential that in its establish- 

 ment some one competent person should be able and willing to sacrifice 

 a goodly part of his time to getting the club in a fairly automatic 

 running condition along the lines pursued by the D. V. O. C. enumer- 

 ated above under sections 3 to 10. As we are now constituted, the 

 untiring and skilful labors of our business manager. Mr. Witmer Stone, 

 have become less arduous, and to a certain extent the machine has 

 acquired a sort of reproductive power that insures its perpetuity-. 



Undoubtedly good live bird clubs can be organized along the same 

 lines as ours and yet be removed hundreds of miles from any seat of 

 learning like the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Let 

 their aim be to establish, wheresoever they are. nuclei for just such a seat 

 of learning as the Academy is to-day. We cannot have too many of 

 them. 



English Starling 



BY EDITH M. THOMAS 



Here's to the stranger, so lately a ranger. 



Who came from far over seas : — 

 Whatever the weather, still in high feather. 



At top of the windy trees ! 



Here's to the darling. — brave English Starling. - 



Stays the long winter through : 

 He would not leave us. would not bereave us.- 



Xot he. though our own birds do! 



Cold weather pinches — flown are the finches. 



Thrushes and warblers too! 

 Here's to the darling, here's to the Starling. — 



English Starling true! 



