Reports of State Societies and Bird Clubs 491 



need in agriculture, and the like. We would appreciate inquiries and sugges- 

 tions. — W. D. I. Arnold, President. 



Elgin (111.) Audubon Society. — This Society, organized in 1914, has a 

 membership of 120, of whom 95 are on the active list, 16 on the associate list, 

 and 9 on the Junior list. Meetings are held at the homes of the members. 

 Last October, in cooperation with the Garden Club, we sponsored a musical 

 lecture by Professor Olds for the benefit of the Red Cross. With the follow- 

 ing slogan, "Crops will save the Allies; Birds will save the crops," the annual 

 exhibit was held April 19 to 22, 1918, during which time it was estimated there 

 were 2,000 visitors. No admission was charged, the purpose of the exhibit 

 being solely to interest the people of Elgin in the need of bird-protection. 



The Club has placed posters in regard to the conservation of birds and 

 flowers in all the public parks, and now has twenty more printed on oilcloth, 

 with a special appeal, to be placed this fall. One of the Club members, a taxider- 

 mist, prepares for the club collection any bird which comes to accidental death. 

 The two issues which the Club is at present working on are, first, an ordinance 

 restricting stray cats, and, second, the repairing of the city museum. — Char- 

 lotte Weatherill, Secretary. 



Erasmus Hall (Brookl3ni, N. Y.) Audubon Bird Club. — ^We have been 

 active the past year, and have conducted bird contests in the schools, one an 

 Essay Contest, the essays of which were written on some phase of bird-life, 

 and the other, a Poster Contest, the posters of which showed the importance 

 of birds to agriculture. The winners of these contests were awarded school 

 medals. The Club has voted to hold these contests each year. A Reed "Bird 

 Guide" was won as a prize by Jerome Allen for identifying the greatest 

 number of birds between March i and June i. His list numbered 69 species. 



The Club does most of its field-work in Prospect Park, although some trips 

 are made to Sheepshead Bay and Staten Island. Members of the Club helped 

 maintain a feeding-station in Prospect Park during the early part of last 

 winter. — (Miss) Grace Seelig, Secretary. 



Forest Hills Gardens (N. Y.) Audubon Society. — The idea of the con- 

 servation of our natural resources has always been back of the Audubon move- 

 ment, which has two aspects, the economic and esthetic. Since the war began, 

 Forest Hills Gardens Audubon Society has emphasized the economic value of 

 bird-life in preventing the terrible damage done to our crops by worms and 

 insects. This damage has reached almost unbelievable figures, and there_^are 

 only two ways of cutting it down. One is by constant spraying or dusting with 

 chemicals, which entails expense and labor, and the other is attracting the 

 birds around farms and gardens and letting them do the work. 



To protect our beautiful gardens, where the trees, shrubbery, and flowers 



