State Audubon Reports 367 



a reserve, and Mr. Baynard was made warden. A bill prohibiting "the shoot- 

 ing of live birds as targets" was passed by the Legislature. Florida ma}^ 

 congratulate itself on this humane advance. In May, reports were received 

 that ''500 birds, with their backs torn off for aigrette plumes," had been found 

 at a rookery. A recent London "Times" says: "the game protectors of the 

 City of New York report that they are unable as yet (since June 30) to find 

 any aigrettes for sale in that city." It may be pertinent to ask, how is one to 

 account for the increasing amount of aigrette plumes now ornamenting women's, 

 hats all over the United States? 



Mr. James Buckland of London, in his pamphlet "Pros and Cons of the 

 Plumage Bill," says, when deploring the extermination of plumage birds t 

 "Thirty years ago, there were millions of White Herons breeding in the United 

 States ; today, nothing remains of those vast hosts but a few colonies rigidly 

 guarded by armed wardens. Their practical extermination was due to their 

 slaughter in the millinery interest, and to no other cause whatever. The 

 same may be said of the white wings of the Egrets of China." To Venezuela, 

 Mr. Buckland says, the eye of the plume hunter was next turned, and in 1908 

 2,839 kilos, which represent 1,500,000 plumes of the aigrette (such as womem 

 wear on hats), were exported. To produce a kilo (i kilo is approximately two- 

 pounds) of small plumes, 870 birds have to be killed, an appalling fact, when 

 one realizes that, besides the mutilated and dying 870 large birds, countless 

 numbers of small birds are left starving in the nests. And all this cruelty is 

 for what ? Simply to satisfy woman's heedless vanity, and love of feathered 

 adornment. Our Society would suggest that this subject be made of the 

 first importance at the next International Congress for bird preservation. — 

 Mrs. Kingsmill Marrs, Chairman of Executive Committee of the Florida 

 Audubon Society. 



Illinois. — The continued illness of Mr. Dutcher, President of the National 

 Association of Audubon Societies, makes bird-lovers work with sad hearts; 

 though it brings the desire to make even greater efforts to carry on the work 

 that owes so much to him. 



The membership of our State Society has been increased by 31 adults 

 and 1,877 junior members. In addition to this increase and in response to an 

 appeal, about 40 of our former members have joined the ranks of those who 

 pay the annual dues of one dollar. 



Three illustrated lectures were kept on the road during part of the year. 

 Our sets of pictures and libraries, however, are not so popular. We have 

 sent out 919 leaflets. These, and the lectures, have to do the missionary work 

 throughout the state. They are good workers, but we greatly need a "real,. 

 live missionary," to travel through the state and talk to schools, clubs. Far- 

 mers' Institutes, etc. Out of our 102 counties, there are 12, largely in the 

 southern and southwestern portion of the state, which make no response to 



