Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-20
CHANCE FOR THE BIRDS
A MOVEMENT THAT Is HAPPILY
GROWING WORLDWIDE.
Societies All Over the Globe That
Are Working for the Protection
Of Feathered Tribe.

From the Nation.
The Hamburg authorities have decided
| to appoint a special .'vogelwart.". whose
| duty 1t viii be to study ana utilize the
! best schemes for preserving bird Ire. This
important step. which. It Is hoped, will be
taken as precedent by otter governing
bodies. Is prompted by the International
association OF women for the protection
Of birds. The German branch. which has
nearly doubled its membership within a
year. has just issued its, "Jahrbuch'' for
1905. volume Of 40 pages. containing
some startling figures as to the wholesale
slaughter of birds In various countries.
Italy Dalmatia, Belgium. the United States.
Morocco. Egypt and Turkey lead in this
haps 200.OOOO0O useful or ornamental birds
are killed annually; the number, OF nests
destroyed exceeds, according to the secre-
tary of the Florence branch of the asso-
citation, 100000, which means the loss of
| another 50O00.0OO birds. In Madrid. 1t is
| estimated. some 10000 larks. robins.
| fnches and other birds are served daily
as food In fOur-fifths Of the area Of the
| United States birds with beautiful feathers
have been nearly exterminated.
Though our country figures in the list as
one of the chief culprits. there Is reason
| to believe that the tide has turned and
that the birds here have once more a
chance to live and multiply. While there
are, OF course. no statistics. observers have
noted during the past spring and summer
that there are more songsters in our
meadows and trees than q few years ago.
For this result thanks are due largely to
the work Of the Audubon Society. The
first duty Of its members Is to discoun-
tenance the use by women of all feathers
except those OF the ostrich and of domestic
fowls. The societys report for 1900 In
dicates gain Of go per cent in its re-
Afy,fo hoc oR he tnO va n
this money excellent use Is made Much
| has been done in the way Of influencing
legislatures to pass laws for the protec-
ton of songsters and game birds. There
are already six reservations where birds
are guarded during the breeding season.
The Louisiana branch has taken lease
Of twenty-five islands. each Of which is the
breeding place Of large colonies Of birds.
| such as laughing gulls. Fosters common.
royal and Cabots terms. and black skim
mers. The lumber Of wardens has been
steadily increased. A Stream Of educa-
tional leaflets is issuing from the head
| quarters. at 141 Broadway. Clubs are
being formed in schools. and in awakening
| an interest among children lies the great
| est hope Of the permanency of the Audubon
movement.
Friends Of the Farmers.
Through the work of the society farmers
are impressed anew with the Importance
| Of birds as enemies of the destructive in
| sects and worms, whose ravages are an
| nually increasing. Foresters are appealed
to in view of the damage done, and the
much greater damage threatened by cater
pillars mo shooting signs have been
| distributed In large numbers to landholders.
| by which means protection has been pro-
| vided on many large farms and on estates
| near towns and cities. Perhaps the great
| est triumph has been the agreement Of the
| wholesale milliners of New York and Chi
| cago not to sell native or imported song
birds for period of three years. How
| this plan works Is illustrated in the re-
| port from Oregon. Grebe hunting was abb
| ruptly stopped in that state on receipt Of
| word from the milliners association that
| no more of the skins would be bought.
The Pacific islands. with their birds Of
brilliant plumage. are included in the work
of the Audubon Society," OF special in
| terest In the current report Is remark
| made in the section devoted to Maine by
| Warden Harlow of the Mount Kineo region.
| while sportsmen are generally inclined"
| he says. ito respect bird life, there are
quite a number OF instances where thought
| lessness leads them to shoot at our song
| birds merely as. targets" This has done
| much to decimate the birds; but there is
undoubtedly reaction.
Camera Better Than Gun.
| One influence has been exerted by the
| numerous articles and books recently writ
| ten to show that shooting animals with
the camera Is infinitely more fascinating
than the use of the rifle. This enterprise
calls into play all the best manly quail
| ties of endurance. sets ones wits against
| the cunning of wild animals and gives all
| the excitement and pleasure of pursuit
without that "half-defned feeling of re-
| pentance and sorrow which comes to
| hunters when their quarry lies dead be-
| fore them An excellent Illustration Of
| this method of hunting with the camera
| is provided by an article. to which we
| referred at the time of publication, pho
| tographing Wild Game With FlashDght and
| Camera" by George Shiras, in the July
| number Of the National Geographic Maya
| zine.
| There are certain animals which remain
| as legitimate prey OF those who prefer the
| rifle to the camera: Woodchucks for in
| stance, and the willy crows, which destroy
| birds eggs and are, oftener than Is gen.
| orally known. devastating visitors in the
chicken yards Squirrels, too must not be
| allowed to become too numerous; they
| eat eggs and young birds that have es-
| capped the deadly cold storms of early sum-
| mer. The worst enemy Of birds, apart
| from man. Is the domestic cat. One, at
| low estimate. will devour every year
| fifty birds in the nesting season on a
| single farm. A cat tax would doubtless
| do much to help the multiplication of birds.
| Pending It's enactment. those who love to
| see and hear birds near their houses would
| do well to follow the suggestion made In
recent book that the house cat be pre-
! vented from roaming about during the
! time when young birds essay their first
| FIGHT nv cODfpfpp har within largo in