State Audubon Reports 449 



President, Mr. Ruthven Deane, Chicago ; Vice-President, Mr. John M. Blakely, 

 Chicago; Secretary, Miss Mary Alma Hardman, Chicago; Treasurer, Miss 

 Amalie Hannig, Chicago. 



Mr. Henry Oldys was the speaker for the afternoon, and a large audience 

 appreciated his interesting lecture on bird-protection. 



The work of the Society for the past year has been characterized by some 

 significant activities. The most important of these is the raising of funds 

 for the placing of a lecturer in the field. At the annual meeting of the Society, 

 in 191 2, Mr. Pearson promised us that if we would raise $500 for this purpose 

 the National Association would meet it with a like amount, and some of our 

 most active members immediately resolved that the amount should be raised, 

 and we are glad to report that we have been fortunate enough to secure the 

 services of Mr. Henry Oldys for a four-weeks' tour of the state, beginning 

 October 20. Mr. Oldys will travel over the state and lecture before the most 

 influential gatherings which can be assembled, and we are expecting large 

 returns from his work. 



We have also done a bit of direct bird-protection work in the way of 

 attempting to preserve a colony of Black-crowned Night Herons which 

 were nesting in swamp oak trees in the Sag region near Worth, about eighteen 

 miles southwest of Chicago. The farmers, not appreciating these birds, and 

 thinking they were destroying the young trees, were killing them off. When 

 the facts were brought to the attention of the President, he immediately 

 sent a check for $25 to the owner of the land, to secure the protection of the 

 birds. It is reported, however, that they did not appear last season, and it 

 is feared that they were frightened away. 



The gradual growth in membership has been significant. Six life members 

 have been added during the year, which causes rejoicing, for they are our first 

 and only life members. Thirty-seven active members, four contributing 

 members, and two sustaining members have also been added, making a total 

 of forty-nine new members during the year. The membership as it now stands, 

 consists of 317 active, 12 contributing, 27 sustaining, and 6 life, — a total 

 of 362 members. Unfortunately, there is a continual loss of members through 

 death and moving to other states. Seven names have been removed from 

 our list since last May. One of these has been that of Mrs. John V. Farwell, 

 who died on August 6. Mrs. Farwell was always interested in the work for 

 the protection of birds, having often spoken and written on that subject 

 for special meetings. One of her lectures, entitled "Birds Afield," has been 

 attractively published for the Society, in her memory, by Mr. Farwell. Mrs. 

 Farwell expressed her interest in the Audubon Society by making it a legatee 

 in her will. 



The traveling loan collections of slides, pictures, and books have been 

 used by thirty-five schools and like institutions, and the demand for these 

 collections necessitated the making of a new one; so the Society now has 



