304. Bird - Lore 



the horticulturist and the dweller in the city to come, rear their young and go 

 without molestation. 



We have outlined a great work, and the spread of a healthy idea of complete 

 protection to all harmless birds and animals is in the hands of leading repre- 

 sentatives of the educational, professional and business life of the state. We 

 therefore expect in the near future to take an advanced position among bird- 

 protecting states of the Union. 



To all similar efforts we send greeting. — Richard H. Sullivan, President. 



Louisiana. — The Audubon Society of Louisiana chronicles a year of great 

 success. In the early part of the year we prepared two comprehensive measures 

 to be introduced in our State Legislature. One thoroughly covered the protection 

 of game birds, the other provided the creation of a State Commission for the 

 protection of birds, game and fish, with self-sustaining warden service. 



With the aid of the National Association of Audubon Societies (which was 

 freely accorded us) these measures were successfully presented to the legislature 

 and subsequently became laws, and from now on, state control of this asset 

 supersedes voluntary associated effort of individuals. 



In addition to obtaining these laws we successfully withstood an organized 

 effort on the part of the millinery trade of the whole country to amend our present 

 "non-game" bird law, in order to permit the selling of bird plumage. Possibly 

 this was the most important event in the whole history of bird protection. 



Our reservations on the coast continue to give a good account of themselves. 

 Thanks to the warden service maintained by the National Association, our bird- 

 breeding islands to the eastward of the mouth of the Mississippi river gave 

 to the almost depopulated waters of the Gulf upwards of sixty-two thousand 

 Gulls and Terns; while to the westward of the river, a like number were prob- 

 ably raised on islands over which very little warden service obtains for want of 

 funds. 



From now on the Audubon Society can drop the undesirable phase of liti- 

 gation to enforce the bird and game laws and enter the more congenial and true 

 one of effort along educational lines in the public schools. 



In conclusion, we desire to call the attention of all Audubon Societies to the 

 misnomers under which our efforts have been carried on. We refer to the desig- 

 nations of 'game' and 'non-game' birds. In our opinion this is highly objection- 

 able and should be superseded by the more comprehensive terms of 'useful* 

 birds, comprising all the insectivorous and some vegetivorous birds. 'Game' 

 birds comprising the wild sea and river Ducks, Geese, etc., and the 'obnoxious' 

 birds, such as Cooper's Hawk, Cowbird, Passer Domesticus and others. 



Such a nomenclature would bring the bird question right into the domain 

 of the utilitarian and would vitally strengthen the plea for bird preservation. — 

 Frank M. Miller, President. 



