The Audubon Societies 



173 



While the foregoing items date back to 

 the end of March, one must be added which, 

 at that date was still in the realm of hope. 

 Since that date it has become a working 

 fact, and we are rejoicing that the observ- 

 ance of Bird Day has at last become a law 

 of Illinois. Our state superintendent of 

 schools, Mr. Alfred Byliss, has been greatly 

 in sympathy with the efforts of the Audubon 

 Society in this direction, and stands ready 

 to aid as far as possible in the work of bird 

 study and protection in the schools. As the 

 work of the National Committee draws the 

 various state societies into closer union, and 

 they know more and more of each other's 

 work, there is little to report that is not 

 already a twice-told tale; and yet, each 

 society has its own special interests, its own 

 special wants. One of our ' special ' wants 

 is one each society will also claim as its 

 special want — more money! We need it 

 for a lantern ; for another lecture ; to buy 

 charts and leaflets; to hold meetings; to 

 buy books to help our children and teachers ; 

 to educate, educate, educate, until every 

 man, woman and child in our state realizes 

 that while the dead wing may have a certain 

 beauty, it is as nothing compared to the 

 'joyful wing cleaving the sky,' and that 

 while the bird may be of use as food, that 

 use is as nothing compared to its usefulness 

 when it is allowed to do the eating! We 

 hope and believe that the outlook for the birds 

 in Illinois grows brighter every year, and 

 feel that they have the right to chant a brave 

 little ' sursum corda ' for their native song. — 

 Mary Drummond, Secretary. 



CALIFORNIA 



Miss Josephine Clifford M'Crackin, 

 president of Women's Forest- and Song- 

 Bird Protective Association, of Santa Cruz 

 county, California, which was organized 

 in December, 1900, writes of a project to 

 organize bird- protective associations in 

 different counties, with one state president to 

 whom all are to report. 



This is an excellent arrangement for a 

 state of the area of California, where ' local 

 secretaries' would find themselves far apart, 

 though the underlying idea is the same. 

 It is time that California stirred herself in 



bird-protective matters, for if the Redlands 

 society has done any active work it has very 

 effectually concealed it, at least from the 

 Audubon Department of Bird-Lore. 



Bird Protection Abroad. — III. 

 New Zealand 

 By T. S. Palmer 



An interesting article on the birds of New 

 Zealand, by Charles A. Keeler, in the 

 August number of Bird-Lore, naturally 

 suggests an inquiry as to the protection 

 afforded native species in that distant part 

 of the world. A glance at the map will 

 show that New Zealand consists of two main 

 islands, extending approximately from 35° 

 to 47° S. Lat., with an area of 104,471 

 square miles. Its corresponding position on 

 our Pacific coast would be from Santa 

 Barbara, California, to Gray's Harbor, 

 Washington ; its area is a little greater than 

 that of Colorado and r.bout equal to that o*^ 

 the combined areas of New York, New 

 Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. With 

 the lofty mountains on the South Island, its 

 topography and climatic conditions are as 

 varied as those of any of our western states. 



Game protection has received considerable 

 attention in the colony for more than thirty 

 years, and has been fostered largely by the 

 acclimatization societies, which were first 

 organized in the sixties. During this time 

 at least nine game-laws have been enacted. 

 These comprise two principal and seven 

 minor acts, as follows: 'The Protection of 

 Animals Act, 1873,' amended in 1875 ; 

 and 'The Animals' Protection Act, 1880,' 

 amended by the acts of 1881, 1884, 1886, 

 1889, 1895 and 1900. These laws, like 

 other institutions of New Zealand, differ 

 radically from those of other countries. 

 Thus, under the act of 1880 ' game ' is de- 

 fined as imported animals and birds, while 

 the specific term ' native game ' is applied 

 to indigenous species ; licenses are given 

 more attention than prohibitions against 

 killing ; and the property in game ' turned 

 at large ' by an acclimatization society may 

 be vested in the chairman of the society for 

 three years, instead of being vested in 

 the state. 



