The Audubon Societies 



175 



Owen, commanding the detachment of ma- 

 rines at Midway Island, the landing point 

 of the Pacific cable, stating that the em- 

 ployees of the cable company have threatened 

 to leave the island by the next steamer if the 

 order of the department prohibiting them 

 from carrying firearms and shooting the 

 beautiful birds of the island is enforced. 

 The department's reply to this cablegram 

 was that the order was to be rigidly en- 

 forced, as the officials here are determined 

 to put a stop to the carnage of these birds of 

 plumage." 



California is still making great strides, 

 new local branches being rapidly organized. 

 Secretary Way writes : "I believe we will 

 get 1,000 junior members in Pasadena. 

 The letters I am getting from children, and 

 the interest they are showing in this work, 

 is decidedly encouraging." Mr. Way con- 

 ducts a department in the ' Pacific Fruit 

 World,' a paper of wide circulation, 

 through which he has an opportimity to 

 plead the cause of bird protection in a very 

 forcible manner. 



In addition to the above, the Society is 

 making a determined effort to preserve the 

 Mourning Dove. Large numbers of Edu- 

 cational Leaflets No. 2 are being circulated, 

 also a special leaflet entitled ' Save the 

 Nesting Doves ' has been prepared by the 

 California Society and is being used with 

 good results. This aggressive fight to pro- 

 tect this beautiful and useful bird is 

 strengthening the California Audubon So- 

 ciety and is bringing it prominently before 

 the public. An active, aggressive and pro- 

 gressive society is like a two-edged sword, 

 cuts both ways, — helps itself and weakens 

 the opposition. Such work is commended 

 to some of the other societies who seem 

 somewhat lethargic. 



Some large colonies of sea-birds breeding 

 on the Oregon coast have been brought to the 

 attention of the Committee, also certain acts 

 of vandalism committed there. Steps have 

 been taken to prevent such occurrences in 

 the future, through the cooperation of Mr. 

 J. W. Baker, State Game Warden. De- 

 tails of the above will be given in the annual 

 report, and it is hoped that it may be accom- 

 panied by some interesting photographs. 



The North Dakota Audubon Society has 

 commenced a very active campaign for state 

 work. It has in progress an extremely im- 

 portant movement, the details of the suc- 

 cessful completion of which may be given 

 in the near future, certainly in the annual 

 report. It is of such a character that pub- 

 licity at the present time might delay or 

 defeat the project. 



In North Carolina the citizens will soon 

 learn that the Audubon Society is a force, 

 for it has, since its organization, conducted 

 fifty successful prosecutions for violation of 

 the bird- and game-laws. 



One thousand warning notices, containing 

 the new state bird- and game-laws and also 

 the provisions of the Lacey Act (Federal 

 Law), have been sent to Louisiana for 

 distribution. Frank M. Miller, President 

 of the Louisiana Audubon Society, reports 

 that during the past season five thousand 

 eggs were destroyed at one time, at a breed- 

 ing-ground on the Gulf Coast. This was 

 done in order that fresh eggs could be col- 

 lected subsequently. Mr. Miller, during 

 the coming winter, will have a complete 

 survey of the Louisiana coast made in order 

 to locate all of the breeding-grounds, so that 

 complete protection by wardens may be 

 given in 1905. 



The Committee has long felt that inas- 

 much as all the warning notices prepared, 

 and sent for distribution to the several state 

 Audubon Societies, contained, in addition to 

 the State Law, the Federal Law or Lacey 

 Act, there should be no objection to having 

 them displayed prominently in post-offices. 

 Application for such permission was made 

 to the Post-office Department, and the same 

 has been granted. A facsimile of the order 

 has been prepared and will be furnished to 

 any of the Audubon Societies that desire to 

 place notices in the post-offices of their 

 state, provided the said warning notice is in 

 the form detailed above. 



Two thousand five hundred copies of an 

 ' Open Letter to Clergymen ' have been 

 sent to the religious and secular press of the 

 country, and it is being published widely. 

 The letter refers mainly to the use of the 

 aigrette and the rights of birds as citizens. 

 In this connection a pleasing incident has 



