Evening star., 1897-06-12
THE AUDUBON SOCIETY
Issues a Timely Appeal I'm the Interest
of the Birds.

Issues q Timely Appeal in the Interest
of the Birds.
The Audubon Society, which was founded
May IS last, In cooperation with the
American Ornithologists' Union, has al
ready accomplished considerable in the
way Of arousing interest in the matter of
the protection and study Of BIRDS The So
ciety numbers in its membership many of
the most prominent men and women in
Washington. 1t has list of officers made
up of people we'll known in the official and
social life of the capital, who are actively
interested in its aims and objects.
The society has just issued an address to
the public, calling attention to the fact
that some of our most beautiful and at
tractive birds have been all but extermI-
rated to supply the demands of millinery
1t lays special stress upon the fact that
the food habits of birds make them in
valuable as destroyers of insect pests 1t
urges property owners to post their land
and grounds against the robbing Of nests
and shooting of birds, in accordance with
the common law and congressional statute,
which provides a penalty for the killing of
iSsectivorous birds or the destruction of
tfeir eggs. The address then goes on as
follows:
The women of the District are asked TO
help with the moral work of the society
Few people realize, until their attention is
called to it, what it means to wear wings
and heads on ones hat. But while feeling
wholly superior to the red men, who decor
ate themselves with their neighbors' scalps
we nevertheless adorn ourselves with the
heads OF our little brothers, who arc
moved by the same feelings of Joy, grief
and love as we-feathered fathers and
mothers, who give us lessons in courage
and devotion. and which, when left alive
add to our commonplace round the charm
and sunshine of their cheering songs and
attractive ways. Once appreciating this we
must find 1T impossible to wear any
feathers to obtain which a bird has been
killed. Ostrich feathers and those of do
nestic fowls do not come under this head
and may be used without scruple, but
egrets, terms, parrots, birds of paradise
and all small birds must be sacrificed be-
fore their feathers can be used.
Teachers and school children are among
our most important Audubon workers. Such
extensive nature work is already done in
the schools of the District that instruction
In the economic value of birds can easily
be added, and by setting apart bird day.
especial emphasis will be given to the study
of the live bird.
keep their playfellows from robbing nests
and shooting birds, and instead to put up
bird houses where the birds can nest, and
put out pans of water for their little
friends In hot weather; also to form neigh
borhcod natural history clubs, so that they
can compare notes on the interesting
things they see birds do"
The officers of the Audubon Society are
as follows: President, Surgeon General
Sternterg. U. 8. A; honorary vice presi-
dents, Mr.. Charles ]. Bell, Mrs. Henry F.
Blount. Judge Andrew c. Bradley. Mr..
John Burroughs. Miss Alice Fletcher. DIR.
Theodore Gill, Mrs. A. w. Greely, Mrs.
Gardiner G. Hubbard, Mrs. Rudolph Kaufr-
mann, Mrs. William Bruce King, Mrs E.
Bradford Leavitt. DR.. C. Hart Merriam,
Mrs. Olive Thorne Miller. Miss Virginia
Miller. Mr.. Seaton Perry. Mr.. William b.
Powell, Mrs. F. ID. Power, Mrs. Wallace
Radcliffe, Rev. ]. Havens Richards, s. j.,
president Georgetown University; Mr.. Rob-
ert Ridgway. Miss Alice Riggs. Mr.. Tneo-
dore Roosevelt, assistant secretary of the
navy; Bishop Satterlee, Mrs. Frank Sewall
Miss Olive Risley Seward, Mr.. Thomas W
sidw ell, Mrs. o. H. Tittmann. Mrs. c. D.
Walcott, President Whitman, Secretary
James Wilson. Mr.. S. w. Woodward; sec
retary. Mrs. John Dewhurst Patten; treas
urer, Miss Westcott: executive committee,
Miss Elizabeth " Brown. Mrs. Arnold
Hague. DR.. L. O. Howard, Mr. Bernard T.
Janney, Miss Lehman, Mrs. George Cotton
Maynard. Miss Florence A. Merriam, DR..
James c. Merrill. Mr.. Henry oIds, DR.. T.
8. Palmer. Dr. d. Webster Prentiss, Mrs
Robert Ridgway. Mrs. George F. Schayer,
Mr.. Richard Sylvester and Mr.. Henry L.