THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



birds. At the present time under the leadership of Lord Edward Grey 

 a songbird protection bill is pending in the British Parliament. 



In many parts of Europe, especially England and Scotland, there 

 are enormous numbers of upland game birds. This is because game is 

 protected on an entirely different basis than in this country. It is all 

 privately owned. My friend and host, Mr. Hugh Gladstone, told me 

 there was not a place in all Scotland where there is "public shooting" 

 except along the beaches "between tides." The game being privately 

 owned and being more or less profitable to raise, there are naturally 

 more game birds to the square mile than we find in this country. 



Through our International Committee we propose to exchange pub- 

 lications so that those interested in bird-protection throughout the 

 world may be kept closer in touch with what is going on in other regions. 

 The Organization Committee is coming on very nicely. The French and 

 British sections of the Committee have formally organized as National 

 Committees for their countries. 



The organizations in various countries that have been invited to en- 

 dorse the principles for which we stand, and each to appoint two mem- 

 bers to the International Committee, constitute not only bird-protective 

 societies, but all leading scientific organizations and institutions. As 

 an illustration I give below a list of the names of organizations which 

 have joined the Committee and each appointed representatives making 

 up the British Section. Among the members of this Committee such 

 people as Lord Rothschild, Lord Buxton, Hugh Gladstone, Percy Lowe, 

 Mrs. Reginald McKenna, William Sclater, Mr. Lemmon, etc. It is 

 thought that organizing in this way, workers in various countries will 

 be stimulated to greater efforts. Here are the names of the British 

 Societies referred to: 



National Trust (for places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty); 

 Zoological Society of London; Royal Society for the Protection of 

 Birds; The Royal Society; the British Ornithologists' Union; Royal 

 Scottish Zoological Society; The Plumage Group; and Society for the 

 Promotion of Nature Reserves. Sincerely, 



T. Gilbert Pearson, 



President National Association of Audubon Societies 



Overtones 



I heard a bird at break of day No man, I think, could listen long 



Sing from the autumn trees Except upon his knees. 



A song so mystical and calm, Yet this was but a simple bird, 



So full of certainties, Alone, among dead trees. 



— William Alexander Percy 



From "The Second Book of Modern Verse," edited by Jessie B. Rittenhouse. 



