238 



The Audubon Society. 



THE AUDUBON SOCIETY FOR THE PROTEC- 

 TION OF BIRDS. 



THE AUDUBON SOCIETY was founded in New York 

 city in February, 1S86. Its purpose is the protection of 

 American birds, not used lor food, from destruction for mer- 

 cantile purposes. The magnitude of the evil with which the 

 Society will cope, and the imperative need of the work which 

 it proposes to accomplish, are outlined in the following state- 

 ment concerning 



THE DESTRUCTION OF BIRDS. 



Within the last few years, the destruction of our birds has 

 increased at a rate which is alarming. This destruction now 

 takes place on such a large scale as to seriously threaten the 

 existence of a number of our most useful species. It is carried 

 on chiefly by men and boys who sell the skins or plumage to 

 be used (or ornamental purposes— principally for the trimming 

 of women's hats, bonnets and clothing. These men kill every- 

 thing that wears feathers. The birds of the woods, the birds 

 of the field, the birds of the marsh and those of the sea are 

 alike slain, at all times and at all seasons. It matters not if 

 the bird be a useful one which devours the hurtful insects 

 which destroy the farmer's crops, or a bright-plumaged song- 

 ster whose advent has been welcomed in spring, and which has 

 reared its brood in the door yard during the summer, or a 

 swift-winged seaswallow whose flight along the shore has often 

 with unerring certainty led the fisherman to his finny prey — 

 ■whatever it be, it must be sacrificed to the bird butcher's lust 

 for slaughter and for gain. Besides the actual destruction of 

 the birds, their numbers are still further diminished by the 

 practice of robbing their nests in the breeding season. 



Although it is impossible to get at the number of birds killed 

 each year, some figures have been published which give an 

 idea of wnat the slaughter must be. We know that a single 

 local ta.vidermist handles 30,000 bird skins in one year; that a 

 single collector brought back from a three months trip 11,000 

 skins; that from one small district on Long Island about 70,000 

 1 irds were brought to New York in four months time. In New 

 York one firm had on hand February i, 1886, 200,000 skins. 

 The supply is not limited by domestic consumption. Ameri- 

 can bird skins are sent abroad. The great European markets 

 draw their supplies from all over the world. In London there 

 were sold in three months from one auction room, 404,464 West 

 Indian and Brazilian bird skins, and 356,389 East Indian birds. 

 In Paris 100,000 African birds have been sold by one dealer in 

 one year. One New York firm recently had a contract to 

 supply 40,000 skins of American birds to one Paris firm. These 

 figures tell their own storj'— but it is a story which might be 

 known even without them; we may read it plainly enough in 

 the silent hedges, once vocal with the morning songs of birds, 

 and in the deserted fields where once bright plumage flashed 

 in the sunlight. 



BIRDS, INSECTS AND CROPS. 



The food of our small birds consists very largely of the 

 insects which feed on the plants grown by the farmer. These 

 insects multiply with such astounding rapidity that a single 

 pair may in the course of one season be the progenitors of six 

 billions of their kind. All through the season at which this 

 insect life is most active, the birds are constantly at work 

 destroying for their young and for themselves, tens of thou- 

 sands of hurtful creatures, which, but for them, would swarm 

 upon the farmer's crops and lessen the results of his labors. 



A painstaking and ardent naturalist not very long ago 

 watched the nest of a pair of martins for sixteen hours, from 4 

 A. M. till 8 P. M., just to see how many visits the parent birds 

 made to their young. He found that in that time 312 visits to 

 the four young were made, 119 by I he mule and 193 by the 

 female. If we suppose only six insects to have been brought 

 at each visit, this pair of birds would have destroyed, for their 

 young alone, in this one summer's day, not far from 2,000 

 insects. The important relations which our birds bear to the 

 agricultural interests and so to the general welfare, are recog- 

 nized by the governments of all our States. Laws exist for 

 their protection, but these laws are rendered inoperative by 

 the lack of an intelligent public sentiment to support them. 

 They are nowhere enforced. It is for the interest of every 

 one that such a public sentiment should be created. 



It is time that this destruction were stopped. 



I'UUI'OSH OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETY. 



To secure the protection of our birds by awakening a better 

 sentiment, the Audubon Society, named after the greatest of 

 American ornithologists, has been founded. The objects 

 sought to be accomplished by this Society arc to prevent as far 

 as possible — 



(i) The killing of any wild bird not used for food. 



(2) The taking or destroying of the eggs or nests of any wild 

 birds. 



(3) The wearing of the feathers of wild birds. Ostrich 

 feathers, whether from wild or tame birds, and those of domes- 

 tic fowls, are specially^ exempted. 



The Audubon Society aims especially to preserve those 



birds which are now practically without protection. Out 

 Kame birds are already protected by law. and in large measure 

 by public sentiment, and their care may be left to the sports- 

 man. The great aim of the Society is the protection of 

 American non-game birds. The English sparrow is not. 

 included in our lists. 



PLAN OF THE WOKK. 



Obviously the Society cannot supply any machinery of com- 

 pulsion to lead individuals and communities to a higher 

 regard for bird life and to efiorts for its protection. Nor are 

 compulsory measures thought necessary. The wrong is toler- 

 ated now only because of thoughtlessness and indifference. 

 The birds are killed for millinery purposes. So long as fashion 

 demands bird feathers, the birds will be slaughtered. The 

 remedy is to be found in the awakening of a healthy pub- 

 lic sentiment on the subject. If this enormous destruction of 

 birds can once be put in its true light before the eyes of men 

 and women and young folks, if interest be aroused and senti- 

 ment created, the great wrong must cease. To so present the 

 case to the people as to awaken this corrective sentiment is the 

 special work contemplated by the Audubon Society. The 

 methods adopted are very simple. Pledges are furnished, sub- 

 scription to which constitutes membership, and certificates 

 are issued to members. 



TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP. 



The signing of any of the pledges will qualify one for mem- 

 bership in the Society. It is earnestly desired that each mem- 

 ber may sign all three of the pledges. Beyond the promise 

 contained in the pledge no obligation nor responsibility is in- 

 curred. There are no fees, nor dues, nor any expenses of any 

 kind. There are no conditions as to age. The boys and girls 

 are invited to take part in the work, for they can often do 

 more than others to practically protect the nesting birds. All 

 who are interested in the subject are invited to become mem- 

 bers, and to urge their friends to join the Society. If each 

 man, woman or child who reads this circular will exert his or 

 her influence, it will not take long to enlist in the good work a 

 great number of people actively concerned in the protection or 

 our birds. It is desired that members may be enrolled in every 

 town and village throughout the land, so that by the moral 

 weight of its influence this Society may check the slaughter of 

 our beautiful songsters. The beneficent influence of the 

 Audubon Society should be e.xerted in every remotest by-way 

 where the songs of birds fill the air, and in every crowded city 

 where the plumes of slain songsters are worn as an article of 

 dress. 



ASSOCIATE MEMBERS. 



As there are a verj' great number of people in full sympathy 

 with the Audubon movement, and ready to lend it their moral 

 support, but who refrain from joining the Society simply be- 

 cause they find it distasteful to sign a pledge, it has been 

 determined to form a class of Associate Members. Any one 

 expressing his or her sympathy wilh the objects of the Audu- 

 bon Society and submitting a written request for membership 

 to any local secretary, will be enrolled on the list of Associate 

 Members. All such applications for membership received by 

 local secretaries of the Society should be forwarded to the 

 General Secretary for registration. 



LOCAL SECRETARIES. 



The Society has local secretaries in cities, towns and villages. 

 The local secretary' will furnish this circular of information 

 and pledge forms; will receive the signed pledges, keep a list 

 of the members, forward a duplicate list with the pledges for 

 enrollment and file at the Society's office; and will receive in 

 return ceitificates of membership, to be filled out and signed 

 by the local secretary and given to the members. No certi^ 

 ficate of membership will be issued to any person except upon 

 the receipt of a signed pledge at the office of the Society. 

 Where no local secretary has yet been appointed, individual 

 applicants for membership may address the Society at its 

 office. No. 40 Park Row, New York. 



If there is no local secretary in your town, you are invited 

 to act as such yourself, or to hand this to some other person 

 who will accept the office. Upon application we will supply 

 copies of this circular and pledge forms. 



THE AUDUBON SOCIETY CERTIFICATE. 



The Society furnishes to each member a handsome certificate 

 of membership. This bears a portrait of the great naturalist, 

 John James Audubon, after whom the Society very appro- 

 priately takes its name. 



The office of the Society is at 40 Park Row, New York city. 

 All communications should be addressed 



THE AUDUBON SOCIETY, 



No. 40 Park Row, New York. 



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