12 EH eA UDIU BB ON BB Gel heii 
In Need of Information 
A RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOK from the pen of Leonard Dubkin, “The Murmur 
of Wings,” has been the cause of much criticism from qualified students of 
ornithology. They cannot agree with him in many of his statements as to 
the habits of wild birds, nor in his conclusions as to what is or is not good 
practice in bird protection. In fact, they feel that the book is entirely out 
of step with modern knowledge of their needs and reflects the ideas of a 
rank novice in the subject. 
In the May issue of Coronet there are reproduced some splendid color 
photographs by Hal H. Harrison, of Tarentum, Pa., President of the 
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. Unfortunately they are used 
in connection with a story by Mr. Dubkin which has evoked the following 
letter from Mrs. Margaret Morse Nice, one of the country’s outstanding 
ornithologists, and which is given with her permission: 
5727 Harper Avenue, Chicago, 
May 1, 1945. 
Editor of Coronet, 
919 N. Michigan Ave., 
Chicago 11, Illinois. 
Dear Sir: 
Mr. Harrison’s color photographs of birds in the May 
Coronet are superb, but Leonard Dubkin’s accompanying 
story is an insult to intelligence. 
We read of one woman who neglected her feeding 
shelf in cold weather, but nothing of the thousands of 
people who redouble their efforts at such times, and by so 
doing save many birds that would otherwise perish. We 
read of the iniquity of putting out colored ribbons for 
nesting material, thus making the robin’s nest “a glaring 
landmark to all the cats in the neighborhood” (Mr. 
Dubkin does not seem to know that cats are color-blind), 
and of crows pulling the nest to pieces for the ribbons! 
What, pray, would crows want with ribbons? As for the 
cruel deed of planting shrubs for birds, our author evi- 
dently is unaware that that is one of the basic methods 
of management for game and song birds. 
Mr. Dubkin would do well to get acquainted with the 
birds of his neighborhood; perhaps then he would not class 
cardinals and tufted tits as migratory. He has done a bad 
turn for the birds in whom he professes an interest. If it 
were not for the efforts of “bird lovers” in protecting 
them by legislation, by education, and with sanctuaries, 
the birds would have a hard time indeed. Far from “doing 
all right,” they need more protection from their enemies 
and constant vigilance on the part of their friends. 
Very truly yours, 
Mrs. MARGARET M. NICE 
