History of the Audubon Movement 55 



Sennett, chairman of the Protection Committee, made a very brief verbal 

 report of progress, the most important statement being that the law 

 recently enacted by the State of Peimsylvania, in a measure through the 

 influence of the Committee, was commended as the best thus far adopted. 



The report of the A. O. U. Protection Committee, made by 

 Mr. Sennett, chairman, at the Eighth Congress, November 18-20, 1890, 

 merely referred to the fact that no additional legislation had been obtained, 

 but there was a general feeling manifested to protect song birds. 



At the Ninth Congress of the A. O. U., November 17-19, 1891, 

 the chairman, Mr. Sennett, merely reported progress, and Mr. Brewster 

 stated what had been done to protect the Terns on Muskeget Island 

 (Mass.) during the past four years. 



The Protection Committee did not make any report to the American 

 Ornithologists' Union during the years 1892 and 1893. At the Eleventh 

 Congress, 1894, Mr. F. M. Chapman was appointed chairman of the 

 Committee. 



At the Twelfth Congress the chairman, Mr. Chapman, in his report, 

 detailed the special protection .given to the Terns on Great Gull Island, 

 N. Y., to prevent their extermination, and also the successful efforts of 

 Messrs. Brewster and Mackay to prevent the repeal of the Massachusetts 

 law protecting the Terns of Muskeget Island. The Committee was con- 

 tinued and, Mr. Chapman declining the chairmanship, Mr. Gurdon Trum- 

 bull was made chairman. 



At the Thirteenth Congress, Nov. 12-14, 1895, Mr. Brewster stated, in 

 behalf of the Protection Committee, that the Terns on Muskeget Island 

 showed great increase, as did the colony of Laughing Gulls; and that great 

 cudit was due Mr. George H. Mackay for his continuous efiforts to save 

 these birds from destruction. Messrs. Stone and Dutcher reported on the 

 protection given to the coast birds in New Jersey and New York. A new 

 committee was appointed, consisting of William Dutcher, chairman, Ruth- 

 ven Deane, Witmer Stone, Leverett M. Loomis and George H. Mackay. 



At the close of the year 1895 the low tide of bird protection had come 

 and the end of the first cycle was at hand. The A. O. U. Protection 

 Committee was discouraged and hopeless, feather- wearing was as rampant 

 as ever, the legislatures of the states of New York and Pennsylvania, where 

 the model law had been enacted, had amended or repealed the same, and 

 bird legislation was as defective as it was before the protection movement 

 began; the Audubon Society had practically ceased to exist, and the 

 'Audubon Magazine' was no longer published. Truly it might be said that 

 the cause of bird protection seemed hopeless, for the movement that had 

 Started so brilliantly in 1883 was seemingly dead after a short career of 

 twelve year§. An analysis of the cause of the decline points to the follow- 

 ing reason; the movement was started and carried on as a single society. 



