Our North-West Prairies. 153 



fires will largely cease and trees will have an opportunity 

 to extend their area of growth in every direction. Further, 

 as cultivation increases and a drainage system is more gen- 

 erally earned out, summer frosts will largely disappear and 

 the climate become more suitable for forest trees as well as 

 grain. The extension of the forests will, no doubt, have its 

 effect in somewhat increasing the rainfall, but will also 

 afford breaks to the winds which now prevail. The general 

 effect must be a modification of the climate in some degree, 

 probably rendering the atmosphere less dry and somewhat 

 moderating the cold in winter. 



The Peotection of North American Birds. 



By Alfekd H. Mason, F.C.S. . 



A communication on this subject having been addressed 

 to the Society by Mi*. Montague Chamberlain, a member 

 of the Council of the "American Ornithologists' Union" 

 and Canadian Superintendent of that union, the Council of 

 the society decided that it was a subject of importance to 

 naturalists, and I was invited to bring the matter forward. 



The American Ornithologists' Union was organised in 

 1883 at New York, at a convention of the leading scientific 

 workers in that branch of study. The object of the Union 

 is to advance the study of ornithology and to organise for 

 systematic and combined action in the determination of 

 important questions. It has issued a new classification of 

 Xorth American Birds, established a successful journal 

 " The Auk," and organised and made successful a very 

 large body of observers of the phenomena of bird migration. 

 Allen, Baird, Coues, Merriman, Bidgway and Henshaw, 

 are among the leading professional Zoologists of America. 



Atjthoe's Note. — This paper consists mainly of a resume of the 

 work of the American Ornithological Union, and of extracts from 

 its recent circular, and the chief object^ aimed at is to aid in direc- 

 ting general attention to the ruthless destruction of birds. 



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