BY THE WAYSIDE 
45 
SCHOOL BRANCH DEPARTMENT 
Every Wisconsin School Branch is required to subscribe for at least one copy of BY THE WAYSIDE 
t 
Letters to this department should be 
written on only one side of the page, should 
give name, age and address of the writer and 
should be mailed by the first of the month; 
Illinois writers sending to Miss Mary Drum¬ 
mond, Spring Lane, Lake Forest, Ill., and 
Wisconsin writers to Mr. F. S. Brandenburg, 
Madison, Wis. To each writer whose letter 
is published will be sent a beautiful colored 
picture of the bird of the month. For the 
best letter each month we will send the 
Wayside free for one year. Preference will 
be given to letters about the bird study 
for the month and to original observations. 
The wren button which is the badge of the 
Audubon Society, costs two cents and can be 
bought from Miss Mary Drummond, or Mr. 
Brandenburg. 
Any Wisconsin society may, by paying 
the express, have the use of the Gordon and 
Mrrrill Libraries of bird books by applying 
to Mr. Brandenburg. 
A set of colored bird slides with a type¬ 
written lecture may be rented from Chas. E. 
Brown, State Historical Building, Madison, 
Wis. Illinois Schools may use, without ex¬ 
pense, a library or a lecture with lantern 
slides, by applying to Miss Bunnel, Academy, 
of Sciences Chicago. 
The Tree Climbers 
Of the many members of the wood¬ 
pecker family only a few leave us in the 
winter. The sapsucker goes south, of 
course, as his chief source of diet is un¬ 
derground in this part of the country 
now. The flicker and the “red head” 
are occasionally seen here all winter 
long—but only on rare occasions. The 
others—the hairy and downy wood¬ 
peckers, the brown creeper and the nut¬ 
hatch remain with us the year 'round. 
Their food is not sap, but insects, which 
they seek under the tree bark. Any 
one of these litle fellows makes a fit 
source of study for this month. Feed 
them nuts or bits of bread. A little 
change in their menu will be very wel¬ 
come. 
New Bird Law In New York 
The Shea Plumage Bill passed by the 
New York legislature was signed by 
Governor Hughes on May 7, 1910. The 
new law does not take effect until July 
1, 1911, in order to give dealers a chance 
to dispose of stock. It prohibits sale 
or possession of the plumage of all birds 
of the same family as those found with¬ 
in the state, except game birds and birds 
not protected. Ostriches and birds of 
paradise are specifically excepted from 
the operation of the law. The passage 
of the bill was strongly opposed by the 
millinery trade. Under its terms the 
sale or possession of aigrettes, hum¬ 
ming birds, gulls, terns, and numerous 
other birds that have been extensively 
used for hat decoration will be illegal. 
As New York City is the chief distribut¬ 
ing point for imported plumage the ef¬ 
fect of the bill will be far-reaching if it 
remains unmodified. 
No longer now the wing’d habitants, 
That in the woods their sweet lives sing 
away, 
Flee from the form of man; but gather 
round. 
And preen their sunny feathers on the 
hands 
Which little children stretch in friendly 
sport, 
Towards these dreadless partners of 
their play. 
* * * . * happiness 
And science dawn, though late, upon the 
earth. 
— Shelley. 
i 
