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Bird - Lore 



come to the attention of the Committee. 

 In a parish leaflet issued by a Massachu- 

 setts church is the following quotation from 

 Educational Leaflet No. 7: "The wearing 

 of aigrettes or plumes from the White Heron 

 has now become a question of ethics, which 

 every woman must decide for herself. It 

 matters not a whit where the plume comes 

 from, — the fact remains that the woman 

 who wears one is party to a cruel wrong, 

 and the plume, itself, becomes a badge of 

 inhumanity." Will not the clergymen of 

 the country follow this excellent lead ? 

 Certainly human beings will be held re- 

 sponsible for all acts of cruelty to even the 

 most humble of God's creatures. — W. D. 



The Illinois Society 



As a foreword to this report it is perhaps 

 best to state that it covers the time between 

 the annual meeting of 1903 — March 28 — 

 and that of 1904 — April 23 — and thus, in a 

 few items, overlaps the last report published 

 in Bird-Lore. 



With the courtesy due to those rare crea- 

 tures that ' never lie,' our figures must speak 

 first. Our membership has been increased 

 by the addition of 60 adult and 1,573 junior 

 members, making the total number joining 

 since our organization April i, 1897, 1,035 

 adults and 15,059 juniors, a total of 16,094. 

 We have sent out 7,060 leaflets, nearly all 

 being the publications of the National Com- 

 mittee, Mr. Dutcher's report for the A. O. 

 U. Bird Protection Committee and the 

 National Committee leaflets being sent to 

 all our active and associate members. The 

 secretary has received about 500 letters rep- 

 resenting nearly half of our 102 counties, 

 and extending from Galena, in the extreme 

 northwest, to Massac county, in the extreme 

 south of the state. Our receipts from mem- 

 bers' dues, etc., amounted to $232.76, and 

 our expenses were $225.61. As we began 

 last year with a balance of $57.16, we were 

 able to begin this year with one of $64.31, 

 a sum that must rapidly decrease in response 

 to theconstantly increasing demands upon us. 



As to increase these demands, which 

 represent increase of interest, is our reason 

 for being, we must rejoice in this evidence 



of success, while we long for the means to 

 meet the demands more generously. The 

 Junior Department, under the leadership of 

 Mrs. W. M. Scudder, is developing in 

 many directions, and is, of course, the most 

 encouraging feature of our work. The 

 teachers of our schools are, in many cases, 

 doing most satisfactory work, to which the 

 children are responding bravely. 



Our first legal Bird Day, under the law 

 passed in 1903, was kept this spring, and, 

 through the kindness of the State Superin- 

 tendent of Schools, Mr. Alfred Bayliss, the 

 Audubon Society, through its secretary, 

 was allowed space to present the cause of the 

 birds to the teachers in the excellent Arbor 

 and Bird Day Annual issued by the state. 



The usual public meetings have been 

 held in the Chicago Academy of Sciences. 

 At the one in November an interesting illus- 

 trated address on the ' Water Birds in the 

 Chicago District,' was given by Mr. Ger- 

 ard Allen Abbott, while the annual meet- 

 ing in April gave us the great pleasure of 

 listening to Mrs. Irene Grosvenor Whee- 

 lock's charming talk on the ' Birds of the 

 Farallones.' 



The illustrated lecture belonging to the 

 society has been on the road almost con- 

 stantly since February, and is one of our 

 best workers. Our two libraries are slowly 

 winning their way, though far less popular 

 than their more attractive co-worker. The 

 work done by our small band of faithful 

 secretaries — may their tribe increase ! — de- 

 serves special praise. Lacon, Galena, 

 Henry, Princeton, Quincy, Belviderc, Mo- 

 line, Ravenswood, Streator, Bristol, all 

 should have honorable mention. At the 

 annual meeting it was decided to form a 

 committee on new members, this committee 

 to be made up of persons not on the Board 

 of Directors. The good results of this ac- 

 tion are already proving its wisdom. 



That we need for the future more 

 workers, more help, is a twice- and thrice- 

 told tale, but that we do need them is also 

 the proof that the work of the past years has 

 at least laid the foundations for the 'bird 

 house ' we are trying to build for the little 

 feathered workmen of our state. 



Mary Drummond, Secretary. 



