94 WILD LIFE PROTECTION FUND 



quite as usual, seemed marvelous; but there was no room 

 for incredulity. There, in their constant blue covers, lay the 

 ocular proof that the courage of France was imperishable. 



Could American zoologists under similar circumstances 

 manifest the same degree of nerve and persistence? If a 

 million armed and bloodthirsty Huns were at Peekskill, and 

 shells were murdering people en masse in the churches of 

 Manhattan, could we go on publishing Bulletins on zoology 

 and bird protection? 



Finally there came to our desk a new Bulletin of the 

 "Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux," that literally capped 

 the climax. Outwardly it looked as calm and debonair as 

 usual ; but within — it was reduced to eight pages, printed on 

 coarse paper. And at that very time the 60-mile gun of the 

 Huns was throwing explosive shells into the suburbs of 

 Paris! 



The courage of our bird-protecting colleagues in Paris 

 was beyond the reach of mere words of praise. It was no 

 longer possible to send any more letters of admiration and 

 encouragement, couched in wordy platitudes. 



Although it is often a risky proceeding to send assistance 

 where assistance has not been asked, there was but one 

 thing to do. We sent a modest sum of this Fund's campaign 

 money to the League for the Protection of Birds, as a sub- 

 scription toward the cost of its publications. We sent an- 

 other to the parent organization — the Societe Nationale 

 d'Acclimatation, "to be expended in measures for the protec- 

 tion and increase of the wild life of France and her colonies." 



Those subscriptions were received in the spirit in which 

 they were sent. The gratitude so generously expressed, both 

 by the organization and by individual officers and members, 

 left the door of the Future wide open. Our French co- 

 workers in the field of bird protection were willing to accept 

 aid from without at the time when outside help really is 

 needed. 



