172 



Bird - Lore 



trich plume rightfully clings to the better- 

 most headgear. The quill is a difficult 

 ornament to replace, and women should be 

 grateful to the Milliners' Association if they 

 can produce it in a legitimate manner from 

 ^he wings of food birds, and thus keep our 

 consciences and wet-weather appearance in 

 good accord. 



On the other hand, the response of the 

 State Audubon Societies has been no uncer- 

 tain note; and even though the numerical 

 majority has not yet signed, the most Impor- 

 tant societies that carry the balance of power 

 have at once come to the front and a chain 

 has been formed down the east coast and 

 well across the continent to Colorado; for to 

 the date of writing the list includes Colo- 

 rado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of 

 Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New 

 Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Penn- 

 sylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia 

 and Wisconsin. 



Another demand of autumn is a renewal 

 of financial interest in the doings of the 

 National Committee of Audubon Societies, 

 not only that the issue of its series of Edu- 

 cational Leaflets may be uninterrupted, but 

 that it may distribute these widely and 

 freely instead of being forced to charge 

 even the cost of production. 



Leaflet No. 5, 'The Flicker,' the latest to 

 appear, is an example of the great impor- 

 tance of this work; for this Woodpecker of 

 many names has, together with the Meadow- 

 Lark, so long been considered a game-bird, 

 that this tribute to its economic value should 

 be scattered broadcast at this its flocking sea- 

 son, when its well-fed, pigeon-like frame 

 outlined on a tree trunk or taking ants from 

 a bank offers fatal temptation of an easy 

 mark to the lesser owners of guns who 

 imagine themselves sportsmen. — M. O. W. 



Reports of Societies 



ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 



This report, while appearing so late in 

 the year, should be dated March 28, as the 

 facts covered by it embrace only the year 

 previous to that date. Our ' facts ' are, as 

 usual, both encouraging and discouraging. 



The most obvious ones, the statistics, show 

 an increase in membership of 43 adults and 

 3,462 juniors; a very poor showing for the 

 seniors, but a good one for the children. 

 The total number joining since our organi- 

 zation, April I, 1897, being about 14,461. 

 There have been two general meetings held, 

 with addresses and stereopticon views, and 

 seven directors' meetings, besides numbers 

 of meetings of a local nature, in which the 

 officers of the society have had more or less 

 of an active interest. 



We have distributed 6,843 leaflets during 

 the year, 1,500 of which went to milliners ' 

 in the state, 2,000 to the state superintendent 

 of schools for distribution, and about 2,500 

 were purchased for the use of farmers' 

 institutes. 



Our traveling libraries, two in number, 

 while reported as ' ready for duty ' last 

 year, have practically done no active service 

 until recently. This year they promise to 

 do good work. 



One of our plans, an illustrated lecture, 

 has passed from the region of hope to that 

 of reality- fifty-six slides were procured, 

 and a charming lecture to accompany them 

 was written by Mr. Edward B. Clark, 

 author of ' Birds of Lakeside and Prairie.' 

 This lecture lias already done yeoman's 

 service, the only drawback to its usefulness 

 being its inability to be in two places at 

 once, and the lack of a lantern to send 

 with it. 



Our local branches have done better than 

 ever before, and we hear from a number of 

 points of the excellent work done in the 

 schools, of addresses on bird protection be- 

 fore women's clubs, farmers' institutes, etc. 

 The secretary has received letters from 48 

 of the 2,700 towns of the state — very few — 

 but, at least, a 'little leaven.' 



The sending of 1,000 notices of the state 

 law to milliners in the state, and the faith- 

 ful work of our president, have brought ex- 

 cellent results, many of the largest wholesale 

 milliners agreeing not to handle the unlaw- 

 ful feathers hereafter. 



The society mourns the death of one of 

 its vice-presidents. Prof. S. A. Forbes, who 

 was a true friend of the birds and of the 

 society. 



