EE PORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 2; 
people .ill over this great land between the seas and the great lakes find it 
out and pretty soon will try to do the same. We know. We know We are 
Americans just the same as you are. Some of us, like some of you came 
across the great sea. But most of the birds like us have lived here a Ion- 
while; and the birds like us welcomed your fathers when they came here many, 
many years ago. Our fathers and mothers have always done their best to 
please your fathers and mothers. 
“Now, we have a sad story to tell you. Thoughtless or bad people are 
trying to destroy us. They kill us because our feathers are beautiful. Even 
pretty and sweet girls, who, we should think, would be our best friends kill 
our brothers and children, so that they may wear our plumage on their hats 
Sometimes people kill us from mere wantonness. Cruel boys destroy our nests 
and steal our eggs and our young ones. People with guns and snares lie in 
wait to kill us, as if the place for a bird were not in tile sky, alive but in a 
shop window or in a glass case. If this goes on much longer all’ our song 
birds will be gone. Already we are told, in some other countries that used to 
be fuH of birds, they are now almost gone. Even the nightingales are being 
killed in Italy. 
“Now we humbly pray that you will stop all this and will save us from 
this sad fate, 'ion have always made a law that no one shall kill a harmless 
song bird or destroy our nests or our eggs. Will you please make another one 
that no one shall wear our feathers, so that no one will kill us to get them’ 
We want them all ourselves. You, pretty girls, are pretty enough without 
them II e are told that it is as easy for you to do it as for a blackbird to 
whistle. 
If you will, we know bow to pay you a hundred times over. We will teach 
your children to keep themselves clean and neat. We will show them how 
to bye together in peace and love and to agree as we do in our nests. We 
will buihl pretty houses, which you will like to see. We will play about your 
garden and flower beds—ourselves like flowers on wings—without any cost to 
you. II e will destroy the wicked insects and worms that spoil your cherries 
and currants and plums and apples and roses. We will give you our best 
songs, and make the spring more beautiful and the summer sweeter to you 
Every June morning, when you go out into the field, oriole and bluebird and 
blackbird and bobolink null fly after you and make the day more delightful to 
ion And when you go home tired after sundown, vesper sparrow will tell 
you how grateful w© are. When you sit down on your porch after dark, 
fifebird and hermit thrush and wood thrush will sing to you, and even whip¬ 
poorwill will cheer you up a little. We know where we are safe. In a little 
win] 0 all the birds will come to live in Massachusetts again, and everybody 
" * 10 Uves music will like to make a summer home with you. 
“Brown Thrasher, Hermit Thrush. Itobin Redbreast, Scarlet Tannger, Blue 
leron, Aellowbml, Water Wagtail, Pigeon Woodpecker, Yellowthroat, Chicka¬ 
dee, Robert o Lincoln, Vesper Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Summer Redbird 
Hummingbird, Whippoorwill, Woodpecker, Indigo Bird, Wilson’s Thrush 
Kingbird, Cednrbird. Martin, Vireo, Blackbird. Wren. Pee wee. Yokebird, Sand¬ 
piper. Swallow. Cowbird, Ycery, Oriole, Fifebird, Linnet, Pkcebe Lark 
I he wink. 
Department of Public Instruction. 
, Tkentqn, N. J.. April 5th. IS80. 
circular 1u County and City Superintendents: 
In accordance with a joint resolution of the State Legislature, approved 
i inai.t -1st, LSS4. Hon. Foster M. I'oorhees. Governor of the State of New 
•Jersey, has. by proclamation, set apart Friday, the 2Sth day of April, as Arbor 
