The Audubon Societies 43 



this end, it desires to assist teachers by supplying them with material suitable 

 for their uses and by stimulating the interests of their pupils. 



Consequently it is proposed to form an Audubon School League, mem- 

 bership in which, shall be open to all boys and girls of sixteen years and 

 under who successfully take part in the competitions arranged by the Society. 



These competitions will be in the form of essays, the subjects for which 

 will be announced in each issue of Bird-Lore. The first essay will be in 

 the form of a life -history of the Bluebird. This biography should tell of the 

 Bluebird's range, or geographic distribution, of its migrations, of its nesting 

 habits, its notes, its food, and should include particularly the results of personal 

 observations. No fact connected with the bird's habits should be considered 

 too insignificant to receive attention, and each biographer should write as 

 though nothing had ever been published about the Bluebird before. 



Each biography should be divided under the main headings given above, 

 with such additions or sub-headings as prove to be required, and should be 

 accompanied by a colored outline of the Bluebird and a map showing its 

 geographical distribution. Outlines for coloring and blank maps, similar to 

 those on a succeeding page, may be secured, without cost, of the National 

 Association of Audubon Societies at 141 Broadway, New York City. There 

 is no limit to the number of words in each biography. Biographies should 

 be sent to the National Association of Audubon Societies at the address 

 above given, so as to be received not later than March i. Biographies 

 received after that date will not be considered as eligible for the competition. 

 Competitors living in the West may write on either the Western or Chest- 

 nut-backed Bluebird. 



PRIZES 



For the best biography of the Bluebird, on the lines above mentioned, 

 will be given the first prize, the gold badge of the Audubon School League. 



For the second best biography will be given the second prize, the silver 

 badge of the Audubon School League. Writers of biographies which are 

 accorded honorable mention will receive the bronze badge of the Audubon 

 School League. All to whom badges are granted become, by virtue of such 

 grant, members of the Audubon School League. 



All manuscripts, maps and outlines should be endorsed by the competi- 

 tor's teacher or guardian as the work of the competitor. 



SUBJECT OF THE SECOND BIOGRAPHY 



The subject of the biography for the Second Audubon School League 

 competition will be the Red-winged Blackbird. The announcement is made 

 now in order that those who propose to prepare biographies may have an 

 opportunity to study this bird in life, for it should be stated that, in awarding 

 prizes, preference will always be given to the biography containing the largest 

 amount of original observation. 



