74 



Bird-Lore 



dish to the shed corner where he first beat, 

 and then devoured them much as he would 

 beech mast. M. O. W. 



FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE AUDU- 

 BON SOCIETY OF THE DISTRICT 

 OF COLUMBIA 



The Audubon Society of the District of 

 Columbia, the eighth on the list of societies 

 now represented in twenty-five stales, was 

 organized in May, 1897. The society has 

 grown steadily in number, interest, and in- 

 come until the membership has reached 252, 

 of whom 90 are contributing members. 



The objects of the society, the study and 

 the protection of birds, have been lived up 

 to thoroughly. For the study of birds dur- 

 ing this last year good work has been done 

 in the schools. Before the Normal School 

 one informal talk was given by Dr. T. S. 

 Palmer and one by Dr. Sylvester D. Judd. 

 A class of teachers was organized in the 

 spring and conducted by Miss Elizabeth V. 

 Brown. Six weeks' study was given to 

 song birds. The society's collection of spe- 

 cimens was used by this class and was also 

 loaned to the Cathedral School for Girls. 



During the year 1901 seven meetings 

 were held, including the Annual Meeting, 

 at which illustrated addresses were given by 

 Mr. Frank M. Chapman on the 'Colors of 

 Birds,' and by Dr. T. S. Palmer on ' Re- 

 cent Progress in Bird Protection,' three 

 members' meetings in March, April and 

 December, and three Field meetings in 

 May, the last one at Glencarlyn, Virginia. 

 This beautiful and romantic region was 

 explored during the afternoon and in the 

 evening, in the town hall, an enthusiastic 

 meeting was held which resulted in the or- 

 ganization of the Audubon Society of Glen- 

 carlyn, the first in the state of Virginia. 



In May Miss Cady, of New York, gave a 

 piano recital in aid of the society. 



The work in legislation has been unusu- 

 ally active. Through the cooperation of 

 the Fish and Game Association, the com- 

 mittee on legislation secured the enactment 

 of a new bird law which protects, through- 

 out the year, all wild birds except game 

 birds and five injurious species. Through 

 the Superintendent of Police formal notice 



was served on nearly all local milliners 

 calling their attention to the fact that the 

 new law prohibits the sale of plumage of 

 native birds and advising them to return 

 such stock to the wholesale houses with 

 explanations that its sale has become un- 

 lawful in the District. Assistance was ren- 

 dered the Glencarlyn Society in its organi- 

 zation and in framing a bill for the protec- 

 tion of birds, which was introduced at the 

 opening of the Virginia legislature in De- 

 cember, 1901. 



Publications for the past year have been 

 ' Laws for the Protection of Birds and Eggs 

 in the District of Columbia,' and a short 

 ' Sketch of the Life of John James Audu- 

 bon.' 



The fifth Annual Meeting was held on 

 January 27, 1902. After the election of 

 officers, Mr. Harry C. Oberholser spoke on 

 the ' Pleasures and Advantages of Bird 

 Study.' He illustrated his remarks with 

 numerous views of young birds, nests and 

 eggs and emphasized the fact that the 

 poetry in birds cannot be appreciated with- 

 out familiarity with them and their habits. 

 After the lecture Mr. Olds explained the 

 objects of the society and advantages of 

 membership. 



The meetings outlined for the season in- 

 clude a public lecture in March by Dr. 

 Francis Herrick, members' meetings in 

 February and April, followed by field ex- 

 cursions in May. 



Jeanie Mary Patten, Secretary. 



Meeting of the Audubon National 

 Committee 



A meeting of the National Committee of 

 the Audubon Societies will be held at the 

 American Museum of Natural History, New 

 York City, at 10 o'clock on the morning of 

 April 4. 



A New Audubon Society 

 Prof. T. Gilbert Pearson, of the State 

 Normal and Industrial College, at Greens- 

 boro, North Carolina, writes that a North 

 Carolina Audubon Society was formed at 

 that place on March 11, with a charter 

 membership of 140. Details of the Society's 

 organization will be announced later. 



