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Bird -Lore 



the Columbian University at 8.15 p. M. 

 November 19, Surgeon-General Sternberg, 

 president of the local society, presiding. 

 The following papers were presented : 



1. Introductory Remarks, Dr. T. S. Pal- 

 mer; 2. Ornithology in the Schools, Mrs. 

 Olive Thorne Miller; 3. Traveling Libra- 

 ries, Miss Hilda Justice ; 4. Traveling 

 Libraries and Lectures, Mr. O. B. Zim- 

 merman; 5. Publications, Miss Harriet E. 

 Richards; 6. Free Lectures — Free Bird 

 Charts — Free Circulating Libraries, Mrs. 

 Mabel Osgood Wright. 



During the discussion which followed the 

 presentation of these papers, Prof. T. Gil- 

 bert Pearson, secretary of the North Caro- 

 lina society, in an eloquent address, spoke 

 of the importance of scientific accuracy in 

 the reasons for bird -protection presented to 

 the public, but, once assured of the correct- 

 ness of their claims as to the value of birds, 

 he urged the societies to repeat them with a 

 force and insistence which should win them 

 the recognition they deserved. 



At 10 A. M. the following day there was 

 a joint meeting of the Audubon societies 

 and the American Ornithologists' Union to 

 listen to the reports on bird protection of 

 William Dutcher, chairman of the Union's 

 committee on bird protection, and of Dr. 

 T. S. Palmer, in charge of the enforcement 

 of the Federal law for bird protection. 



At 8 o'clock the evening of the same day 

 the meeting of delegates to the national 

 committee of the Audubon societies was 

 held at the residence of Mrs. J. D. Patten, 

 secretary of the District of Columbia society. 

 Fifteen societies were represented, as follows: 



Delaware, Mrs. R. L. Holliday; District 

 of Columbia, Dr. T. S. Palmer; Florida, 

 Mr. R. W. Williams, Jr.; Illinois, Mr. 

 Ruthven Deane ; Massachusetts, Miss Har- 

 riet E. Richards; Minnesota, Dr. Thomas 

 S. Roberts; New York, Mr. William 

 Dutcher; North Carolina, Prof. T. Gilbert 

 Pearson; Ohio, Miss A. L. Hall; Oregon, 

 Wm. R. Lord; Pennsylvania, Mr. Witmer 

 Stone; Vermont, Mrs. E. B. Davenport; 

 Virginia, Mrs. J. C. Plant; Wisconsin, 

 Mrs. Robert K. Shaw; Wyoming, Mr. 

 Frank Bond. Delegate by election, repre- 

 senting Bird-Lore, Frank M. Chapman. 



Mr. Dutcher, who was reelected chair- 

 man of the committee, in reporting on the 

 activities of the past year, stated that, in 

 addition to giving a large share of his time 

 to bird-protective work, he had personally 

 expended in clerk hire the sum of $700; 

 and, while he was willing to give one-half 

 his time to the duties of chairman of the 

 committee, he did not feel that he could 

 longer defray the expenses incident to their 

 proper performance. He, therefore, asked 

 the societies to contribute the $700 re- 

 quired for clerical labor during the ensuing 

 year. 



The sum of $400 was at once subscribed 

 by several of the delegates present, and, 

 on motion, it was resolved that each dele- 

 gate report the matter to his society, and 

 that the action of each society be, in turn, 

 reported to the chairman of the National 

 Committee. 



In view of the great importance of Mr. 

 Dutcher's work, which reaches a field un- 

 touched by the state societies, and which, 

 at the same time, is of much assistance to 

 every society, it is earnestly to be hoped 

 that the sum he needs for clerical help 

 will be forthcoming. Unquestionably, the 

 amount required could not be expended 

 more profitably. 



On motion, it was decided that during 

 the coming year the National Committee's 

 efforts to secure the passage of bird protec- 

 tive laws be restricted to the states of Vir- 

 ginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, 

 California, Oregon and Washington. 



On motion, a committee composed of the 

 chairman, Frank M. Chapman, T. S. Pal- 

 mer and Witmer, Stone was appointed to 

 make an especial examination of the sample 

 stock o'f wholesale millinery dealers before 

 these dealers mad placed their orders for 

 their fall supplies, with the object of calling 

 their attention to the feathers which could 

 not be legally sold in this country. 



The question of cooperative publishing, 

 through the National Committee, was dis- 

 cussed, as was also the possibility of estab- 

 lishing with the chairman of the National 

 Committee a bureau for the exchange of 

 lantern-slides, both projects appearing to 

 be feasible. 



