The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-03-25
rnE ArpunoN socInrIns-lrart "
The National Association.

The year 1900 was a most important | one for the Audubon movement. A de- 1 mand for the skins of gulls and terms led to renewed attack upon these inof-
 fensive and useful birds. and, as this i demand was greater than the supply, several species seemed to be doomed to extermination, Among those who protested against this heartless slaugh- ter was MT, Abbott H. Thayer, who
 made a strong appeal to bird-lovers, and succeeded in raising a. generous fund to be used for the special pur-
 pose of protecting the sea birds during
 the breeding season. This was accom- plished by means of wardens appoint
 ed for the purpose. MT. Thayer kept
 up his good work year after year. with ever-increasing results, so that last
 year there were thirty-four wardens employed, as follows; Maine, 10; Massachusetts, I; New York. 2; New
 Jersey, 2; Virginia, s; North Carolina, r 4; Florida, A. Texas, i; Michigan l.; l Oregon, l; and a contract has just been
 made with warden in Louisiana.
 Still more important was a meeting held in November of the same year, for the purpose of discussing the fed eration of the State Audubon Societies, with view to strengthening the bird-
 protection movement, and of placing 1t upon a more lasting basis. At this
 meeting a committee was appointed,
 and a year later. at a meeting held in
 New York, the committee reported as follows: .~-,s -.. s'
 (D That the several societies retain their individuality; that is, that they be not merged into a national organiza- ton. ,s.s. 2~. ''"
 @ But, in view of the increased efficiency that would always result from some form of union, which would admit of concerted action. 1t is rec commended that. V A
 (3) The several societies shall each appoint one member of committee to
 be known as the National Committee of the Audugon Societies of America.
 4.) That the members of committee may be empowered to represent the societies wherever concerted action on
 the part of the societies be deemed by the committee expedient.
 t5.) That an annual conference be
 held. -ss..s, s@ ,g|' | Since it's formation, the National
 Committee has had charge of the for
 nation of the new Audubon societies, the fostering of the new and weak or 2ganizations, the warden system, legis-
 lation, and general educational work,
 and it also is an additional medium of
 exchange between the several State societies. In 1903 this committee began
 to issue a series of illustrated leaflets
 each devoted to some useful bird which needs protection. These leaflets have been distributed by thousands through out the country, and have been a bene- fit not only to the birds, but to those
 who, by reading these interesting pa-
 pers, became more or less intimate with their feathered neighbors. The official
 organ of the committee is Bird Lore'
 a beautiful little magazine devoted to
 birds, and edited by MT. Frank M. Chapman, than whom there is no
 more reliable authority on Ornithology.
 Bird Lore' contains information given
 simply enough to be understood by
 little children, yet solid enough to be of
 value to the most advanced bird
 students. Its illustrations form one of its finest features. Yet after all, 1t is
 the press through which the committee
 chiefly relies to spread the principles of
 d-protection-the newspapers, whose
 columns seem always open to those
 who wish to use them to advance a
 worthy cause sometimes think that,
 while we give due credit to the man
 who writes in favor of a worthy move
 ment, we are far too apt to forget the