62 Bird -Lore 



close and intimate. A large number of educational leaflet No. 7 on the 

 Snowy Heron were distributed by the English Society. Mrs. Edward 

 Phillips, one of the vice-presidents, writes: "I was intending to write to 

 you to tell how immediate the appreciation of your admirable article on the 

 'Snowy Heron' has been, and to add an assurance of my earnest desire that 

 it may please the Creator of every living thing to direct and strengthen your 

 efforts and those of your co-workers and sympathizers, among whom please 

 count me." Mrs. Praeger, of Holywood, Ireland, says, "Your Society 

 makes a very touching and powerful plea for the Herons; it is quite the 

 best leaflet I have seen on the subject, and I was glad to have it to dis- 

 tribute at our last meeting." 



Early during the present year large numbers of Swallow skins were 

 offered in the millinery shops in New York. On examination they were 

 found to be Hirundo rustica, a common European bird. Some were pur- 

 chased and sent to the British Society in order to keep them informed of 

 the situation in the United States. The Secretary replied, "Your enclo- 

 sure is of melancholy interest — the poor little bodies of these young Swallows, 

 killed when just out of babyhood and making, probably, their first flight to 

 a new and unknown home — Swallows that ought to have come and twit- 

 tered about our English homes, but instead are ghastly little corpses for the 

 'decoration' of American women's hats. 



"I think I may say that in England the Swallows are everywhere pro- 

 tected and valued. I doubt whether one is ever intentionally killed. On 

 the contrary, the decrease in their numbers has of recent years been a subject 

 of serious concern. It is on the Mediterranean, in France and Italy, that 

 the slaughter of these birds takes place, during the migration season ; and 

 this I fear we shall have no power to stop until some international law of 

 bird protection is agreed upon. 



"May I again express our indebtedness to you for the 'Snowy Heron' 

 leaflets, which are, I believe, doing good work." 



An inquiry was received early in the year from Dr. Heuss, of Berlin, 

 asking for information regarding the plan and scope of the Audubon work. 

 This was furnished, and the National Committee stated that it would be 

 very glad to cooperate with the German Society in any international move- 

 ment to protect the birds of the whole world. Attention was also called to 

 large numbers of wild birds that annually were shipped alive from Europe 

 to America for sale by the cage-bird dealers. A letter from Louisa, 

 Countess V. I. Groben, will be of interest to the members of the Ameri- 

 can Societies. "Having read your letter to Dr. Heuss, I must say how 

 happy I am that we have come into connection. When I founded our 

 Frauen-bund, only last March, I had no idea that a society with nearly the 

 same aims and plans was existing in America! I admire all I read in the 

 Audubon papers immensely, and only hope that in years to come our society 



