The Audubon Societies 



199 



ettstown contributions to the Egret Pro- 

 tection Fund, and the amount thus col- 

 lected was $64.50. The last two contribu- 

 tions, Miss Allen asked to have credited 

 in the name of the "Hackettstown Bird 

 Lovers." Here is a suggestion for those 

 in other localities who desire to do some- 

 thing effective toward preventing the 

 extermination of some of the most beau- 

 tiful birds of this country. 



The epidemic of poisoning birds in the 

 South has again broken out, this time 

 in Texas, where planters are complaining 

 of the depredations of Blackbirds on their 

 growing crops. 



Capt. M. B. Davis, the field agent of 

 the National Association, has had his hands 

 full in combating this evil, and his letters 

 and newspaper articles on the subject 

 have been distributed to all parts of the 

 state. Capt. Davis, who has contended 

 that the Blackbirds may be driven out of 

 a given neighborhood by a lusty fusillade 

 of blank cartridges, recently conducted a 

 demonstration in Hill county. A night 

 attack in this way w'as made on a large 

 Blackbird roost, with the result that the 

 birds left the region. 



Xot only have Blackbirds been destroyed 

 in numbers bj' the poison put out by 

 farmers, but many other birds have suf- 

 fered a like fate. Our agent reports that 

 about the fields where this poisoning pro- 

 cess is in operation, he has frequently 

 found many dead birds of other species 

 "In one place," he says, "we found dead 

 Plover, Red Birds, Mockingbirds, and a 

 Flicker," all of which had partaken of 

 poisoned food intended for the Blackbirds. 



It is an exceedingly unwise plan to 

 distribute poison about fields for the pur- 

 pose of destroying any species of bird life. 

 regardless of how detrimental it may be 

 locally considered, as many harmless and 

 useful species are sure to suffer death as 

 a result. 



The following "notice," printed in 

 large type and extending over a space 

 double column in width, has recently 

 appeared in the public press of Memphis, 

 Tennessee: 



"Our city and county authorities are 

 cooperating with the Unites States 

 Government and the National Associa- 

 tion of Audubon Societies for the protec- 

 tion of the song and insect-eating birds. 

 They are doing this not merely from hu- 

 manitarian motives, but because of the 

 incalculable value of these birds to the 

 farmer in protecting his crops from the 

 ravages of insects. 



"Notwithstanding the growth of public 

 sentiment in favor of bird-protection, and 

 the dissemination of knowledge on this 

 subject through the public schools, men 

 and boys are continually shooting these 

 birds in and around the city and our 

 parks. 



"The City of Memphis and the authori- 

 ties of Shelby County have appointed a 

 committee to guard the interests of the 

 birds in Memphis and Shelby County. 

 This committee is composed of Dr. R. B. 

 Maury, Lem Banks and Bolton Smith. 

 Citizens are requested to report to this 

 committee any injury that may be done 

 by thoughtless persons to the birds of 

 their neighborhood. Information thus 

 received will be at once brought to the 

 Department of Police, and laws for the 

 protection of these birds will be en- 

 forced." 



This is signed for the City of Memphis 

 by R. A. Utley, Acting Mayor, and for 

 the County of Shelby by W. A. Taylor, 

 Chairman, Board of County Commis- 

 sioners. This unusual method of co- 

 operation by municipal and county au- 

 thorities for the welfare of the wild birds 

 is but another evidence of the tireless 

 activities of Dr. R. B. Maury, Presi- 

 dent of the West Tennessee Audubon 

 Society. 



