The Audubon Societies 



141 



Teal, Black Duck, Wood Duck, and other 

 valuable food Ducks were in danger of ex- 

 termination. They agreed, also, that most 

 of the shore birds had been depleted even 

 more than the wild fowl. It was learned 

 that gunners were beating about the marshes 

 in April, in order to find the nests of the 

 Black Duck and so secure the mother birds, 

 and that the few Wood Ducks left were 

 being waylaid and shot when they left the 

 nest to feed. The Audubon Society of the 

 State of Connecticut, through Dr. Van 

 Name, chairman of its Committee on Legis- 

 lation, hoping to remedy these conditions 

 somewhat, had prepared a bill fixing the 

 open season between March i and Sep- 

 tember I. Before this could be presented, 

 however, your president succeeded in intro- 

 ducing into the General Assembly, by the 

 medium of Judge Elmer S. Banks, of Fair- 

 field, two bills, one establishing a close sea- 

 son on wild fowl beginning January i and 

 ending August 31, and another providing a 

 close season on shore birds beginning Jan- 

 uary I and ending July 31. 



The bill prepared by the Connecticut 

 Audubon Society was then withdrawn, and 

 the united efforts of the members of the 

 National Association, members of the 

 American Ornithologists' Union and those 

 of the Connecticut Audubon Society were 

 concentrated to secure the passage of the 

 bills introduced by Judge Banks. A hear- 

 ing on these bills and others relating to 

 wild fowl and shore birds was held before 

 the Committee on Fisheries and Game in 

 the Senate chamber of the capitol at Hart- 

 ford. This was one of the largest and most 

 enthusiastic hearings ever held before that 

 body. The large gathering was due mainly 

 to the work of Miss Laura G. Jones, of 

 Hartford, local secretary of the Connecticut 

 Audubon Society, who sent out invitations 

 requesting the friends of the birds to attend. 

 The committee was addressed by your presi- 

 dent, by Dr. T. S. Palmer, of Washington, 

 and the Rev. Herbert K. Job, of Kent, 

 Connecticut. 



Many other Connecticut people spoke in 

 favor of the bills, and there was no opposi- 

 tion. The sentiment of the large number 

 present was not only unanimous in favor of 



closing the shooting on Ducks, Geese, 

 Brant and Swan from January i to Septem- 

 ber I, but the majority were in favor of pro- 

 hibiting the shooting of shore birds during 

 that time, and thus making illegal all 

 spring and summer shooting. The Com- 

 mittee on Fisheries and Game reported fa- 

 vorably on two bills containing the above 

 provisions, and also extending the close sea- 

 son on Rail. Such opposition as appeared 

 in the House was speedily overcome. The 

 agent of the National Association did con- 

 siderable work among the farmers, who 

 usually may be depended upon to come to 

 the rescue of the birds, when the necessity 

 of protecting them is called to their atten- 

 tion, and the bills passed the House almost 

 without a dissenting voice. By this time 

 the Audubon Society, of Connecticut, was 

 fairly awake to its powers and opportuni- 

 ties, and when the bills came up in the 

 Senate, the full force of this strong organiza- 

 tion was brought to bear. As a result, the 

 friends of the bill in the Senate, led by Sena- 

 tor Briggs, of Middletown, passed the 

 measure by a practically unanimous vote. 



Great credit for the result is due to the 

 president of the Connecticut Society; to Dr. 

 Willard G. Van Name, of the Committee 

 on Legislation, and to Mrs. Helen B. 

 Glover, secretary of that society, as well as 

 to Mr. E. Hart Fenn, house chairman of 

 the Committee on Fisheries and Game, and 

 to Mr. John H. Sage, of Portland, secre- 

 tary of the American Ornithologists' Union. 

 It is but just to add that many sportsmen, 

 who care more for the preservation of the 

 birds than for the gratification of their own 

 desires, lent moral support to the movement. 



The Governor signed both of the Audu- 

 bon bills and they are now laws of the 

 state, and Wild Ducks and Shore Birds can- 

 not legally be shot, in the future, in the 

 spring of the year in Connecticut. 



This is another state that has been added 

 to the list of those that have adopted the 

 wise and beneficial anti-spring shooting law 

 and is a distinct gain in Audubon work in 

 the year 1907. — Edv^ard H. Forbush. 



Missouri.— In 1897, an effort was made 

 to enact a comprehensive "game" law in 



