, 1904-03-24
THE AUDUBON SOCIETY.
An Appeal for the Life Of our Song Birds
Spare the Birds and Make Life Plea
ant for Them.

The Audubon Society of the
State of Wyoming has recently
re~organized and is actively engag-
ed in promoting sentiment in fav-
or of the protection of birds. To
this end, letters have been adj
dressed to those in charge of the
schools in every town and county
in the State, asking for the organ
izations of all School children in
to Audubon societies.
To become a member of this So
ciety, the following pledge must
be signed; II promise not to
harm birds their nests or eggs.
and to encourage observance of
the laws passed to protect them"
Members wea a button which
assists in keeping alive an inter
est in the Society and in adver-
tising its purposes.
The law protecting birds and
their nests in Wyoming can be
found in Sec. l, Chap. 81, Revis-
Ell Statutes of Wyoming.
Mr.. Frank Bond has for several
years been the President of this
Society and through him much
has been accomplished toward
di%scouraging the wearing of birds
and their plumage as so called or
naments for ladies' hats, and en-
c%ouraging the boy with slingshot
and gun to not modest the birds
who sing at our door and DESTROY
many harmful insects. In the re-
port of last year to the National
Audubon Society he says: AL
though no new Audubon Societies
have been organized in Wyoming
in 1903, public sentiment favor
ing bird protection has increased
throughout the state.
'The effect of protection upon
wild birds could not be more pro
nounced than in Cheyenne, ex-
cept in a locality where birds, I'M
der similar conditions were more
numerous during the breeding
season A number of common
forms are gradually assuming the
aspect of indifference to man
which is characteristic of the
common fowl and pigeon, fear
lessly occupying boxes and coigns
of advantage about out-buildings,
porches, etc, or nesting in the
trees and vines of the door-yard.
Foraging about lawns in the i'm
mediate presence of the children
of the household, is a daily occu-
patton of the Robin. 1t has been
surprising to learn how soon
these favorites have responded to
the laissez fare treatment and
show their confidence in immune
ty from m~olestation. The fear
~lessness, ono might almost say
domesticity. of the Robins in
Cheyenne is a raattcr of common
knowledge among the people who
are becoming proud of an uncom-
mon condition and jealousy de-
fend the law and doctrine which
make it possible"
Recent scientific investigations
reveal some very interesting facts
relative to the usefulness of birds.
The Flicker which is probably
the most maligned of our common
birds is one of the most useful
species. If it had no other valu-
able economic quality, it would
deserve protection because it is an
enemy of the ant family. Fifty
percent. of its food for the year
being of these insect pests, it des-
troys not only the ants themselves
but the plant lice or aphids which
they care for and pe~rpetuate.
Flickers also destroy a large per-
centage of beetles, moths, and
miscellaneous insects aud thus do
much good. Only one percent. of
the food found in the stomachs of
394 Flickers was cultivated grain
and q like percentage was cult
waited fruit.
In a fruit country during June
and July only 30 per cent of the
food of Robins was found to be
cultivated fruit, while over AS per
cent of its diet was harmful in