252 



Bird- Lore 



Association depends solely upon, and will 

 be limited by the number of its members. 

 Since the incorporation of the Society, a 

 little over eight months since, nearly six 

 hundred persons have shown their interest in 

 bird protection and their willingness to aid 

 in the movement to preserve the wild birds 

 and animals of the country by joining the 

 National Audubon Society ; seventeen of 

 these are life members. This is a splendid 

 nucleus on which to build, but additional 

 members are needed, and that at once. The 

 membership should be increased to at least 

 two thousand in order that sufficient income 

 may be realized to carr}' out all of the plans 

 of the Executive Committee. The annual 

 fee of the sustaining members has been 

 placed at a low figure, $5, that it may 

 not be a burden. Every cent of the fees is 

 used in carrying on the several branches of 

 organized work of the Society. The loyalty 

 of the members to the Society, and, in 

 many cases, the special personal interest 

 displayed in securing new members, is very 

 gratifying to the Board of Directors. It will 

 be an easy matter to double our present 

 membership before the close of the year if 

 each member who reads this statement on 

 October first will, before the end of 

 December, secure one new member. Bear 

 in mind the enormous amount of good that 

 this additional membership of six hundred 

 will permit the Association to accomplish in 

 1906. The number of wardens can be 

 doubled, and the consequent increase of sea- 

 birds during the next breeding season will 

 be very large. Preliminary reports from our 

 wardens are extremely gratifying, and show 

 conclusively that the money expended by 

 the Association for their wages could not be 

 put to a better use. 



There are still large sections of the coast 

 line and also inland waters that are not now 

 o-uarded, but should be. Will not every 

 reader assist in guarding them by interesting 

 some friend in the work of the National 

 Association to such an extent that he will 

 become a member? In every future issue of 

 BtRD-LoRE it is proposed to show the 

 increase in membership. Let us remember 

 that a large membership, well scattered over 

 the country, will make our Society a great 



factor for good, while the influence it may 

 exert cannot be overestimated. 



Cage Birds — Recently it was discovered 

 that some Mocking-birds and Nonpareils 

 were being sent from the South to New 

 York, largely from Georgia. The dealers 

 were cautioned not to sell them, but it was 

 deemed best to ask the cooperation of the 

 transportation companies in preventing this 

 illegal traffic. The Southern Express Com- 

 pany and the Clyde Steamship Company 

 were especially vigorous in their help and 

 have given valuable aid, the former com- 

 pany sending to all of its large number of 

 agents two circular letters, one giving the 

 game laws and the second the non-game 

 bird laws in every state in which they did 

 business. The agents were directed not to 

 accept for transportation birds or game when 

 by doing so the laws of the state in which 

 the office was located would be broken. 



Aliens. — The foreign-born part of our 

 cosmopolitan population are giving the 

 Association a great deal of trouble and some 

 hard work. They seem to have an uncon- 

 querable desire to kill something, and have 

 no respect for the laws. Audubon members 

 everywhere should do all they can to sup- 

 press the alien gunner and bring him to 

 justice. 



A heavy fine is the best method of 

 education ; the influence of a fine is wide- 

 spread among the associates of the person 

 who pays it. In Massachusetts an alien 

 must secure a license, for which he must 

 pay $15, before he can hunt. This 

 license must be carried on the person while 

 hunting and is good only during open 

 seasons. An alien who is caught hunting 

 without a license is punishable by a fine of 

 from $10 to Isc. In New York state an 

 alien is not permitted to carry firearms 

 in any public place; therefore when one is 

 seen hunting he should be arrested at once. 

 Any citizen can make a charge. These 

 laws will save the lives of thousands of small 

 birds. Each of the State Audubon Societies 

 should see that the alien license law is 

 adopted in their own commonwealth. — 

 William Dutcher. 



