5 



Mass. Audubon 8 iclety, I hereby agree not to purchase or encourage the 

 use of feathers of wild birds for ornamentation." A very small fee is re- 

 quired of members, the same beiug used solely for the purpose of printing 

 and disseminating the necessary literature on the subject. 



As a striking sign of the influence of the Mass. Society, it may be stated 

 that one of the fashionable milliners of Boston is a member of the society 

 and consequently will not sell the plumage of wild birds to customers. 



Such societies are at work in nearly every state in the Union. But upon 

 looking at a resummeof the work done in ea.ih state, I am sorry to see that 

 Iowa stands in the background. 



No State Society, and the first local Audubon Society was founded in 

 June of the past year, 1897, at Schaller, lo va, with Miss J. E. Hamand as 

 secretary. This society is in a flourishing condition, has nearly 300 mem- 

 bers, and has recently issued a little leaflet which contains much food for 

 reflection. 



It is to be hoped that before the close of another year It may be report- 

 ed that Iowa has a State Audubon Society. 



ON THE PROBABLE OCCURRENCE OF FOSSIL 

 BIRDS IN IOWA, 



BY WILMON NEWELL. 

 Paner read before the third congress of the I. O. A. 



It was the intention of the vi^riter in preparing a paper for the 

 I. O. A. to present the subject. "Geological Factors of Iowa 

 Ornithology." This subject would naturaly divide itself into two 

 parts as follows: The first part treating of the geological factors 

 indicating pre-existing forms, such as fossils, etc., and the second part, of 

 those geographical and topographical features of the vState that have to 

 do with the character and distribution of living forms. However as the 

 first mentioned furnishes enough and more material than can be treated 

 of in a paper of reasonable ••shortness." I have seen fit to defer indefin- 

 ately the treatment of the second subject, richer and more interesting 

 though it is. 



In treating of the possible (occurrence of fossil birds within the state I 

 have had recourse to the works of Calvin. Bain, Beyer. Marsh. Snow and 

 others, gleaning here and there such items as bear upon the subject. 



Up to the present time no representatives of the Class Aves have been 

 found fossil in Iowa. This may be due to either of two causes. First, 

 those formations in which we know that such remains wjj,'-/// be found may 

 not be sufficiently exposed or not have been well enough explored to de- 

 terniiii(> their presence. Secondly, the formations of the State may be 

 destitute of such I'einains. This last will be treated further on in the 

 paper. 



.\s to the first: as is well known, all fossil birds that have been found in 



