FOREST AND STREAM 
339 
A History of the Audubon Movement 
(FIRST ARTICLE) 
“ Forest and Stream ” the Birthplace of the Audubon Movement—How 
—Early Work and Workers 
T HE Audubon movement for the protection 
and conservation of wild life arose as the 
practical expression of a sentiment which 
had long been growing in the minds of Ameri¬ 
can naturalists, sportsmen and nature-lovers. As 
long ago as 1851 a deeply interesting debate oc¬ 
curred in the legislature of Connecticut over the 
enactment of a proposed law “to prevent the 
destruction of certain small birds.’’ It gave a 
chance for ridicule, but its defenders were wise 
and stout-hearted, and the bill became a law— 
one of the first of its nature. 
When, in 1872 and 1873, some of us used to 
gather about William Brewster’s coal-grate on 
winter nights, and call ourselves The Nuttall 
Club, the talk was constantly of the growing 
diminution of our pets, and how to check their 
destruction. One of those boys was Ruthven 
Deane, who has ever since been a pillar of 
strength to the cause; and I remember the anx¬ 
iety of C. J. Maynard over the threatened dis¬ 
appearance of terns from Muskeget Island, near 
Nantucket, and our joy when it vvas announced 
that local arrangements had been made for their 
protection from egg-hunters, who were then the 
terror in view, rather than the plume-hunters. 
It was not until some years later, however, that 
any public and concerted interest began in this 
direction. This was owing to the apprehension 
which thoughtful sportsmen began to feel in the 
decline of shooting, and to the alarming develop¬ 
ment of the fashion of decorating women’s hats 
with feathers. Dr. George Bird Grinnell, then 
editor of Forest and Stream, which was at that 
time, as it still is, in the forefront as ^n exponent 
of the views of the better sort of sportsmen, be- 
ban in 1883 to write editorials on the subject of 
bird-protection and the need of curbing the waste 
of small bird-life, as well as of game-birds. His 
articles attracted wide attention. Supporting his 
statements by a constant array of most deplor¬ 
able facts, he kept hammering away at the sub¬ 
ject until he had produced a wide and well-in¬ 
formed sentiment that both self-interest and hu¬ 
manity required an active opposition to the waste 
going on. 
Meanwhile the Nuttall Ornithological Club 
had blossomed into the American Ornithologists’ 
Union, a national organization of bird students. 
It appointed a bird protection committee which 
became active, holding weekly meetings; and its 
members wrote and disseminated articles and 
pamphlets calculated to arouse the public con¬ 
science and inform heedless minds. Most im¬ 
portant was a bulletin, issued in February, 1886, 
which contained a draft of a law suitable for 
passage in any state “for the protection of birds 
and their nests and eggs.’’ This is that which 
has since been known as the model law. or Audu¬ 
bon law, and which, in its cisev.';al features, has 
now been enacted in forty-cue. states. 
By Ernest Ingersoll. 
Coincident with the publication of this bulletin 
Dr. Grinnell, in an editorial article in Forest and 
Stream for February 11, 1886, after a forcible 
statement of the need for a protective organiza¬ 
tion, made the following proposition: 
We propose the formation of an association 
for the protection of wild birds and their eggs, 
which shall be called the Audubon Society. Its 
membership is to be free to everyone who is will¬ 
ing to lend a helping hand in forwarding the ob¬ 
jects for which it is formed. These objects shall 
T. Gilbert Pearson, Sec’y National Association. 
be to prevent so far as possible (1) the killing 
of any wild birds not used for food; (2) the de¬ 
struction of nests or eggs of any wild bird, and 
(3) the wearing of feathers as ornaments or 
trimming for dress. 
To bring this matter properly before the pub¬ 
lic at large, we shall employ every means in our 
power to diffuse information on the subject over 
the whole country. Those who are willing to aid 
us in our labors are urged to establish local so¬ 
cieties for work in their own neighborhood. To 
such branch societies we will send, without 
charge, circulars and printed information for dis¬ 
tribution among their neighbors. A little effort 
in this direction will do much good. As soon as 
the association shall have a membership and 
shall be in a position to organize, and shall have 
attained an existence, we will hand the books, 
and any • funds which it may have, over to its 
members, who will thereafter take charge of it 
Instant response to this appeal showed how 
widespread and genuine an interest had been 
aroused by the previous “campaign of educa¬ 
the Society Began and Why it Exists 
tion.” Many men and women of national influ¬ 
ence wrote commending the idea, and promising 
their adherence and aid, so that by June of that 
year more than 10,000 members had given their 
pledges to the “Audubon Society for the Pro¬ 
tection of Birds,” and by the close of 1886, 16,000 
members were enrolled in some 300 scattered 
societies throughout the United States. All this 
time the management, correspondence and cleri¬ 
cal labor of this affair was carried on by Forest 
and Stream. The expense became too great for 
the magazine to bear, as the Audubon members 
paid no membership fees. To shift the burden, 
therefore, and at the same time advance the 
cause, Dr. Grinnell started, in January, 1887, The 
Audubon Magazine, an illustrated monthly. 
This marked the high tide of the first Audubon 
movement, and success seemed assured; but un¬ 
der the soothing influence of this prosperity, ac¬ 
tivity rested, as is so likely to be the case in. all 
“crusades.” Then, imperceptibly, the good influ¬ 
ence weakened and evil influences were strength¬ 
ened. The magazine, although intelligently 
edited and filled with interest and artistic beauty, 
failed of support, and ceased publication at the 
end of its second year. Local societies, losing 
enthusiasm, faded away and disappeared. The 
committee of the Ornithologists’ Union, although 
maintained from year to year, lost its aggressive¬ 
ness, and reported hopes and fears rather than 
work and results. The fashion of feather-wear¬ 
ing had been revived and flourished far more 
than before, under the influence of the rapid ac¬ 
cumulation of wealth which characterized those 
years of our history. As for legislation, it con¬ 
sumed all the energies of those who were still 
struggling to prevent repeal of existing protec¬ 
tive laws, and this was frequently unsuccessful, 
even in New York and New England. 
Nevertheless, the Audubon idea was not ex¬ 
tinct. The leaves had fallen from the tree so 
bravely planted and assiduously nurtured by 
Grinnell, Brewster, Deane, Dutche and others of 
the pioneers, but the roots were alive and sound. 
In 1896 began a revival of effort, on a definite 
plan for the formation of state societies, with 
local branches, which should address themselves 
to state legislation and other local problems, each 
in its own state. The first one was organized in 
Massachusetts, and the second in Pennsylvania, 
both in 1896. During the next year state socie¬ 
ties were formed in the District of Columbia, 
New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and 
Wisconsin, followed in 1898 by Connecticut, Illi¬ 
nois, Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesota, and in 1899 
by Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and California Each 
of these state societies not only worked toward 
betterment of the conditions in its own field, but 
encouraged all the rest. Some semblance of con¬ 
nection was sought by reporting annually to the 
American Ornithologists’ Union, represented by 
