Reports of Field Agents 429 



this to pass. With the federal protection of migrating birds, Ohio's avifauna 

 will fare pretty well for at least two years. 



Probably one of the best proofs of genuine interest in behalf of the birds 

 was developed during the struggle at Washington to have the McLean Bill 

 and the feather proviso become laws. Large numbers of people were so 

 deeply interested that they not only wrote letters themselves, but volunteered 

 to get others to do likewise; and teachers had their whole classes sign petitions, 

 likewise their parents, and send to Washington as evidences of their deep 

 interest in the protection of the birds. 



Some superintendents and principals who did not know what was really 

 going on at Washington, and who do not know how the country has come to 

 regard its wild birds, looked upon the zealousness of their teachers with dis- 

 couraging indifference; but, when these same teachers and classes began to 

 receive letters from the congressmen expressing their readiness to do the 

 best they could for the birds, the heads of these schools began to understand 

 that the matter was worth the consideration of intelligent people. From your 

 field agent's estimate, this fight at Washington, and what it demonstrated 

 here, was worth far more to the cause of bird-protection, and aroused far 

 more interest in the birds, than almost anything else that could have happened. 

 People are asking on all sides, Why this fight over the birds? Poor Senator 

 Reed, of Missouri, was unconsciously the spokesman for a multitude of lag- 

 gard as well as perverted minds. 



The Ohio Audubon Society is very grateful to the National Association 

 of Audubon Societies for the liberal help given, in making progressive Au- 

 dubon educational work possible. And there are many thousands through- 

 out the state who are glad to have me express for them their sincere thanks 

 to the National Association for its valiant fight at Washington in behalf of 

 the two laws that mark this year the greatest in the history of bird-protection. 



REPORT OF E. V. VISART, FIELD AGENT FOR ARKANSAS 



After the adjournment of the Legislature of 19 13, and no advancement 

 made in the way of laws for the better protection of the wild life of Arkansas, 

 it looked as though I might as well give up the fight. But after days of careful 

 consideration, and realizing that I had been successful in creating some in- 

 terest among our people, I determined to take up the work with renewed 

 efforts, and continue until Arkansas was placed in the front ranks of wild-life 

 protection. 



Since that time I have been visiting the different counties in the state, 

 so far as my limited means would permit, spending from two days to a week 

 in each town, interesting the representative citizens, and showing to them, 

 by photographs, and in other ways, the existing conditions, and urging them 

 to talk with their representatives, and insist that they, during the session 



