, 1904-03-21
AUDUBON
SOCIETY ORGANIZED AT cHEYD
ENNE FOR THE PRoTEc-
TiON OF BIRDS OF STATE.
Effort Being Made to Organize Other
Societies Throughout the State
and Extend the Work-Frank
Bond or the Useful. ness Of the
Birds to Be Protected.

The following excellent address
prepared by Prof. H.. L. Conard, su
p~erintendent of the public schools oil
Cheyenne and the president of the
reorganized Audubon society of Wyo-
ming, is sent The Republican with a
wish that it be published to incite in.
terest in the formation of a society
here similar to the Cheyenne societ!
in aim and purpose:
The Audubon society Of the state OF
Wyoming has recently re~organizaa
and is actively engaged in promotin.
sentiment in favor of the protection
of birds. To this end letters have
been addressed to those in charge oi
the schools in every town and couu
ty in the state. asking for the organ
cation of all school children into
Audubon societies.
To become a member of this so.
ciety, the following pledge must b,
signed: Il premise not to harm birds
their nests or eggs and to encourage
observance of the laws passed to pro.
tect them"
Members wear a button which as.
sists in keeping alive an interest in
the society and in advertising its pur.
poses.
The law protecting birds and their
nests in Wyoming reads as follows:
Sec. 7. ANY person who shall
within the sta.e of Wyoming. kill or
catch or have in his own or her pos.
session, living or dead, any wild bird
other thar a game bird, or who shall
purchase, offer or expose for sale any
such wild bird after it has been
caught or killed, shall for each of.
fence. be subject to a fine of not more
than five dollars, for each such bird
killed or caught. or had in possession,
living or dead. or Imprisonment for
not more than ten days, or both, al
the discretion of the court. For the
purposes of this act the following on.
ly shall be considered as game birds;
the Anatidal commonly known as
swan, geese, brant and river and lake
ducks; the Hallidal. commonly known
as rails, coots and mud.hens; the
commonly known as shore
birds. plovers. snipe. sandpipers, tat
lers. willitts. curlews. godwits and
avocets; the Gallina ". commonly
as grouse, prairie chichens,
sagehens, partridge and
Sec. 2. ANY person who shall, with
In the state Of Wyoming, take or need
lessly destroy the nest or the eggs of
any wild bird, or shall have such nest
or eggs on his or her possession, shall
subjected for each offense to a fine
Of not more than Ave dollars, or i'm
for not more than ten
days, or both, at the discretion Of the
court. "-Chapter ~.
Mr.. Frank Bond has for several
years been the president of this so.
ciety and through him much has been
accomplished toward discouraging the
wearing of birds and their plumes as
SO called ornaments for ladies' hats,
and encouraging the boy and the man
with a slingshot and gun to not modest
birds which sing at our door and
destroy many harmful insects. In
the report of last year to the National
Audubon society he says:
Although no new Audubon societies
have been organized In Wyoming In
1903, public sentiment favoring bira
has increased throughout
the state.
1.-The effect Of protection upon wild
could not be more pronounced
than in Cheyenne. except in a locality
where birds, under similar conditions
were more numerous. During the
breeding season a number of common
forms are gradually assuming the as
pect Of Indifference to man which Is
characteristic of the common fowl and
pigeon. fearlessly occupying boxes and
coigns Of vantage about o%ut-buildings,
porches. etc, or nesting in the trees
and vines of the %dooryard. Foraging
about lawns in the Immediate presence
Of the children of the household, is a
daily occupation Of the robin. 1t has
been surprising to learn how soon
these favorites have responded to the
faire treatment and show their
in immunity from molesta-
ton. The fearlessness, one might al
most say domesticity, Of the robins in
Cheyenne in a matter Of common
among the people of. this
city, who are becoming proud of an
uncommon condition and jealousy de-
fend the law and doctrine which make
1t possible"
Recent scientific Investigations re-
veal some very interesting facts rela-
tive to the usefulness of birds. The
which is probably the most
m~aligned of our common birds, is one
Of the most useful species. II it had
no other valuable economic quality, 1t
deserve protection because 1t
Is the enemy of the ant FAMILY. Fifty
percent of its food for the year being
If these insect pests. it destroys not
the ants themselves but the plant
ice or aphids which they care for
md p%erpetuate. Ffickers also destroy
\ large percentage Of beetles, moths
md miscellaneous insects and thus do
much good. Only one percent Of the
found in the stomachs Of 1894
was cultivated grain and al
ike percentage of cultivated fruit.
In a fruit country during June and
Tu1v ouIv an nor rant ~ tho food ~