4 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



and ability. The Society very much wishes to be able to command his 

 entire time and to have him make the promotion of the objects of the Society 

 his sole occupation. The plan of employing a secretary and treasurer on 

 this basis has been adopted by some of the other state Audubon Societies 

 with marked success and the directors of this Society are confident the same 

 result would follow its introduction in Illinois. To make it possible to 

 adopt the plan, it will be necessary that the receipts of the Society for this 

 year be increased by at least $3,000. The Illinois Audubon Society appeals 

 to its members and friends to signify their willingness to enter a class of 

 membership paying higher dues, or to contribute toward the carrying out of 

 this plan, with the understanding, if desired, that the offer to do so shall not 

 become binding unless enough others also signify their willingness to make 

 the aggregate of increased dues at least $3,000. This would mean an 

 increase of 30 in the number of Life Members at $100 each, 120 in the 

 number of Sustaining Members at $25 each, or 600 in the number of Con- 

 tributing Members at $5 each. Once established, it is certain the work of 

 the secretary and treasurer under the new plan will bring to the Society 

 an increase in its revenue which will in future years much more than meet 

 the added expense of his employment on the basis proposed. 



Those who know the value of bird life and rightly desire to 

 have it conserved must give their moral and financial support to this 

 movement if the birds of Illinois are to receive the fullest measure of 

 protection. Spring, which is fast approaching, calls for action, as it is 

 then the birds come back to us in great numbers. The secretary of the 

 Illinois Audubon Society should be devoting all his time to his tasks right 

 now. Your early attention to this appeal will therefore be very much 

 appreciated. ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY, 



Orpheus M. Schantz, President, 



Law for Migratory Birds Safe 



The following paragraphs from the last issue of Bird- Lore answer 

 very concisely the many inquiries raised by the publication by various 

 papers recently of a report that the Migratory Bird Law had been declared 

 unconstitutional. The quotations follow : 



"A news dispatch, recently sent out from Washington, D. C, stating 

 the government had dropped the case of appeal before the Supreme Court 

 in reference to the constitutionality of the Migratory Bird Law, has led 

 many people to understand that migratory birds are no longer protected 

 by the Federal statute. Such is not the case, however. What really hap- 

 pened was this : 



"The old Shauver case which had been pending for several years 

 before the Supreme Court was finally disposed of merely for the purpose 

 of clearing this dead issue off the docket. The treaty between the United 

 States and Great Britain affecting migratory birds in the United States 

 and Canada is much more comprehensive than the old Migratory Bird 

 Law and as the Enabling Act, making the treaty operative, was enacted 

 by Congress July 3, 1918, those engaged in bird protection took no further 

 interest in the fortunes of the Migratory Bird Law. The action of the 

 Supreme Court, therefore, does not adversely affect in the slightest the 

 Federal guardianship of migratory birds." 



