State Reports 95 



supplied by the Audubon Society. The State Game Warden requires that 

 all complaints shall be made to him. 



"The best results obtained were from the posting of printed notices 

 giving a resume of the law relating to the destruction of birds. Many of 

 these signs were destroyed by vicious persons, but threats of prosecution are 

 doing some good. 



"Plans for the coming year will be an effort to pass the Model Law; 

 a series of lectures for the public; talks by the secretary to boys' clubs and 

 church societies, especially those meeting during the summer season; plans 

 to get bird study before the educational bodies of the state, and especially 

 those that hold meetings during the summer months; funds to be secured 

 to carry on successfully all of the above work." 



Minnesota. — This was one of the first states to organize an Audubon 

 Society (1897) ; the Model Law has been adopted, but the bird protection 

 movement is not yet under full headway. This commonwealth has an 

 area of over 83,000 square miles in which the birds must be protected, and 

 a population of over one and one -half millions of people who should be 

 willing to do some bird study and bird protection work. There should be 

 at least one or more local secretaries in every county in the state; Massa- 

 chusetts, with only one-tenth of the area to cover, already has one hundred 

 and sixteen secretaries at work. President Taylor makes a specially inter- 

 esting report of educational work done: "The work of the year has been 

 more than satisfactory. We have, in connection with the bird branch of 

 the State Horticultural Society, issued and largely distributed a circular on 

 bird protection which has done much good. We have secured one hun- 

 dred lantern -slides, through different sources, and these have been used by 

 Prof. D. Lange in his lectures to the High School and to school teachers 

 and scholars. Four more lectures are still to be delivered before the 

 children in this city. He has published under the auspices of this Society 

 a book, 'How to Know One Hundred Birds of Minnesota and the North- 

 west,' which is the best primary lesson book I have seen, and it has been 

 very successful. A number of convictions have been secured and a general 

 tone of better security for our birds has been established. The public is 

 talking about us, which is always a favorable sign that we are doing some- 

 thing. 



"While we get somewhat discouraged for need of money, we peg along 

 and slowly win our way, I am sure. We, however, need help from the 

 richer sections of the country." 



Mississippi. — During the present year the Model Law was adopted 

 which is a decided gain, as it helps to close up the gap in the coastwise 

 states and permits the use of the warden system. As there is no Audubon 



