Evening star., 1898-11-16
BIRD PROTECTION
Theme Before the Congress of 0rni-
biologists.
FASHION NOT FAVORABLE TO BIRD LIFE
Report of Chairman Wilmer Stone
Submitted This Morning.
OTHER TOPICS DISCUSSED

| Bird protection was the important SUBJ
| ject before the congress of the American
| Ornithologists' Union at the session this
| morning in the hall of the National Mu-
| scum. Chairman Wilmer Stone of the com
| mittee having that matter in its care sub
| mttted his report, showing that fashion has
not yet decreed favor of bird life.
The attendance, when Vice President
! Merriam, in the absence of President Ridge
| way, called the convention to order was
| not as large as upon yesterday, but hap
| PLY, the hall was warm enough to be COM
| Portable. Vernon L. kellogg read a. ten
minute paper on Some Parasites of Birds
| and William Palmer contributed a long
| paper on Some Characteristics of Mosop-
! tiles" Vice President Merriam said that
| the latter paper marked new era in the
| special study Of the subject and that it was
| a contribution invaluable to the union
| Theodore Grie read a ten-minute paper on
| Ihe Generic Names Pediocoetes and Poo
! coetes.''
| Chafrman's Report.
Chairman Stones report stated that there
Is constantly increasing interest in bird
protection. The committee prepared a mod
| ell bird law to serve as a guide for those
who should undertake reform in their state
! laws Early in the year meeting of game
Wardens of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michi-
gan, Illinois. Ohio and North Dakota was
| held IN Chicago for the purpose of drafting
| uniform game laws for their states Mr.
Des-ne OF the committee appeared before
| them and, with the assistance of l.. Whit
| ney Watkins, succeeded in securing the
MODEL laws adoption for presentation to
| the respective legislatures along with the
| game law. Much important work has been
| accomplished during the year outside the
| co1nmittee, such as the establishment of
the League of American Sportsmen, Mr.
iorn;>day report to the New York Zoolog-
zeal Society on the Destruction Of Our
| Birds and Mammals and Senator Hoar's
| labors in behalf of his bill in Congress to
pfohloit the importation of wild birds plum
age Tor purposes OF ornamentation
| Senator Harris bill says the report
| strikes at the root of the whole question
OF bird millinery, for SO long as it is permis-
slDle 10 import algretteS and similar feath-
ers it is almost impossible to prove that
dealers are violating the law and selling
american plumes, as they insist that they
! are all imported. With the Importation
| stopped the traffic would be practically a;
an end. Senator Hoar writes that his bill
passed the Senate at the last session with
Dut one dissentlng voice, and now awaits
| the action OF the House.
The establishment of the League of
American Sportsmen is d matter for con-
graduation. Though its work is primarily
| urected toward the protection OF game, the
blrds also come in for their share of atten-
| ton. and we look for most satisfactory re-
suits from cooperation between this organ
| lzatlon and the bird protective societies.
Birds for Millinery Trade
| The report then says: In regard to the
| killing of birds for the millinery trade.
| there is apparently little done to better con-
| ditions within the limits of the United
States, though in Florida the slaughter of
| the remaining egrets seems to go on in
| spite of laws The killing of small insectiv-
| OfOuS DlrQS Tor ba
largely restricted to the southern states
and is there practiced to such an extent as
10 warrant the most serious considerable
Nearly every state has laws intended to
protect the birds, though many are so bad
! ly framed as to be absolutely useless and
even good laws are usually dead letters In
| only few states did the game Hardens
make 1t their business 10 arrest violators
| OF the bird laws. The widespread agitation
| for the protection of the birds has done
good.
decrease in the number of small birds
brought to taxidermists' shops to be
mounted. This is particularly the case in
the north, but it seems much more difficult
TO OBTAIN like results in the south owing
to the fact that small birds have there
been regarded as legitimate game for gem
erations.
To the educational side of the question
the members of the committee have de-
voted themselves during the year, ana the
results have been encouraging.
Several new Audubon societies have been
established during 1898, and there are low
fourteen state societies. with a combined
membership of over 16,030, while some
$4,000 leaflets and pamphlets have been dis
tributed. The status Of The bird ml!iner
remains practically it has been. no ar
gument being able to prevail against the
fashion leaders of the day. Though the
traffic in American birds has been reduced
to minimum. the of imported species
goes on practically unabate1.
Afternoon Session.
The afternoon session was held in the
Central High School hall. Papers, Illus
trated by lantern slides, We're read by
Frank NJ. Chapman, Thos. S. Robercs and
William butcher. The evening session VIII
be held In Cosmos Club Hall.