The Audubon Societies 



131 



call the attention of the teachers to the 

 purposes of the Audubon Society, and to 

 bespeak their cooperation. 



The exercises appointed by Mr. Stock- 

 well for Arbor Day will this year relate 

 largely to birds ; an appropriate plan, 

 since birds are of the utmost importance 

 to forestry and agriculture. 



The expediency of having a special 

 Bird Day established by law, or of com- 

 bining Bird Day with Arbor Day, is still 

 under consideration by the Directors of 

 this Society. 



The latest report from the United States 

 Department of Agriculture alludes to the 

 extraordinary interest in bird study which 

 has recently developed, and attributes it 

 to the introduction of nature study in the 

 schools, and to the efforts of the Audubon 

 Societies in the cause of bird protection. 

 The report considers the chief obstacle to 

 the success of bird study in the schools to 

 be the lack of requisite knowledge on the 

 part of teachers. 



On the gth of last October a millinery 

 exhibition was held by this Society at the 

 Narragansett Hotel. The milliners en- 

 tered cordially into the scheme, and about 

 one hundred and fifty hats were exhibited ; 

 the display proving conclusively that the 

 plumage of wild birds can be discarded 

 without violating the laws of fashion. 

 In spite of unpleasant weather, the par- 

 lors were thronged with visitors. Four 

 ribbon prizes were awarded ; but it is 

 now the opinion of the committee in 

 charge that prizes, even of that nature, 

 were a disadvantage. 



A lecture upon winter birds was given 

 under the auspices of the Society, on Jan- 

 uary 27, by Miss Annie L. Warner, of 

 Salem, Massachusetts. 



Mr. Frank M. Chapman lectured at 

 Sayles' Memorial Hall on the i6th in- 

 stant upon "Bird Studies With a Ca- 

 mera." The lecture was illustrated by 

 fine stereopticon views. It was free to 

 the public, and the large hall was filled 

 to its utmost capacity. 



The annual meeting of the Kingston 

 branch was well attended, and addresses 

 were made by Dr. George W. Field, Pro- 



fessor Card and your secretary. Several 

 informal talks have also been given by 

 your secretary in various places. 



The traveling library is still used by 

 the branch societies, and four new books 

 have been purchased by the committee. 



Our membership at the present time 

 numbers nearly four hundred and fifty 

 Of this number one hundred and eight 

 persons are so-called active members and 

 pay an annual fee of one dollar. As it is 

 almost entirely by means of the fees that 

 the work of the Society is carried on, I 

 would urge those who think the birds 

 worth saving to assist us by bringing in 

 new members. This is not a difficult 

 task, for many are interested in the 

 cause and need but little persuasion. 



The young people are not so well rep- 

 resented in the Society as could be wished. 

 Parents and teachers can interest them 

 in nature study, teach them the useful- 

 ness of birds, and direct them in correct 

 paths of research. 



All members are again urged to protest 

 against the use of wild birds and their 

 plumage for millinery purposes, and to 

 use their influence in every possible way 

 to advance the work of bird protection. 

 Annie M. Grant, .S"^'^. 



OHIO SOCIETY 



(First Annua f Report) 



The Audubon Society of the state of 

 Ohio has completed its first year as an 

 organization. Its existence as a society is 

 due to the untiring zeal of Miss Clara Rus- 

 sell. Humble, but strenuous efforts on 

 her part led to the first meeting of Octo- 

 ber 8 in the Eden Park Shelter House, at 

 which Dr. H. T. Keckeler presided, and 

 finally to the meeting of October 21, 1898, 

 in the Lecture Room of the Natural His- 

 tory Society, at which Mr. Wm. Hubbell 

 Fisher presided, where organization was 

 effected. 



Among the plans devised to illustrate 

 the purposes of the Audubon movement 

 was to give from time to time a public lec- 

 ture, and W. H. Venable led the series by 

 delivering an address before the Society 



