OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE WISCONSIN AND ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETIES. 
One Year 25 Cents Single Copy 3 Cents 
Published by the Wisconsin Audubon Society, at Appleton, Wisconsin. 
Entered as second-class matter May lfi, 1904 at Appleton, Wis., under the act of Congress of Mar. 3, ’79. 
VOL. VIII. 
MARCH, 1906. 
No. 9. 
The Audubon Society. 
Twenty years ago an editorial appeared 
in Forest and Stream which led to the or¬ 
ganization of the first Audubon Society, 
of which the present national society is 
the successor. It proposed the forma¬ 
tion of an association for the protection 
of wild birds and their eggs, a society to 
be named for John Audubon ‘‘who did 
more to teach Americans about birds of 
their own land than any other man who 
ever lived.” The society attracted the 
attention of such men as Henry Ward 
Beecher and John G. Whittier. Before 
the year was over it had a membership 
of 16,000 and was incorporated. There 
were over three hundred local secretaries 
in different parts of the world. The 
next year the Audubon Magazine was 
started. 
But in 1888 a decline set in. The tide 
of bird protection rapidly ebbed. Fash¬ 
ion decreed feathers, and the press gave 
little help to the cause. Much of the 
good work done by the society seemed to 
have been lost. Matters went from bad 
to worse, until in 1895 the association 
practically ceased to exist. This seems 
to have been due partly to lack of proper 
organization, partly to the enormous task 
before it. 
But in 1896 the movement was re¬ 
vived in the establishment of a svstem of 
state Audubon societies. The first was 
in Massachusetts. The Wisconsin and 
Illinois societies were formed in 1897. 
There are now organizations in nearly 
every state and territory. Many are in 
a very prosperous condition; some are 
incorporated. ‘'The Society of North 
Carolina is unique in that it acts in that 
state as a Game Commission with power 
of appointing bird- and game-wardens 
who can arrest violators of game-laws.” 
Lack of proper and uniform laws was 
felt to be the first great need of the cause, 
and efforts were at once directed toward 
securing the adoption of a model law all 
over the country. This law is now in 
force in about thirty states and territories. 
In 1900, through the efforts of Mr. A. 
H. Thayer, a generous sum of money 
was raised for the protection of the Gulls 
and Terns, against the attacks of Fashion. 
This sum has been added to from year to 
year, and now the society is able to em¬ 
ploy thirty-four wardens, who are sta¬ 
tioned chiefly along the seaboard. 
The last important step in organization 
was taken in 1900. A meeting in Cam¬ 
bridge, Mass., led to the federation of the 
state societies with the National Associa¬ 
tion in order to strengthen the societies 
for more effective work. Each state so¬ 
ciety retains its own individuality; it 
appoints one member of the National 
Committe of the Audubon Societies of 
America. This committee meets once a 
year. Its president is William Dutcher. 
It is carrying on the work of organiza¬ 
tion, it aims to further legislation for 
bird protection, and is a strong influence 
