Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-07-18
ROBINS BATTLE IS
WON IN SOUTH
Campaign to Save Song Birds
in Louisiana Results in VIC
tory for Representatives OF
Audubon Society.
Especial correspondence Morning journal,

Especial correspondence Morning Journal
New York, July 15,-After four
years of desperate fighting the first
battle for Robin Red Breast has today
been won i'm Louisiana, the heart or
the section where this %favorite Am
erican song bird is butchered by the
million for the market That the robin
has at last been removed from the list
Of game birds by the legislature OF
the Creole state was announced today
at the headquarters of h National
Association of Audubon societies. AS
the first fruits of a persistent cam
paign of education i'm the SOUTH the
officers of the association declare.
their victory will mean the saving OF
dollars worth Of crops for each tiny
carcass spared as a tid-bit for the
gourmand.
BY a close vote the law makers of
/ Louisiana have repealed the old game
bird law in which the robin was class
ed as game and have decreed no open
season for the wholesale destruction
If the slightly species. a million mem
hers Of which were b~utchered for their
mouthfuls of meat last year alone
only Texas and Alabama of all the
southern states 10Y possess similar
/ statutes. though II is declared tina
sentiment in the south Is becoming
! generally aroused against the slaugh'
ter Of these favorite birds of the
COUNTRY while they winter in lower
ATTITUDES.
That successful agriculture in this
country would become impossible anC
vegetation soon be destroyed If tbs
robin and his brother birds were ex'
terminated has just been asserted by
Professor Henshaw of the biological
survey. and the Audubon authorities
declare that his warning may come
too late if this, victory for the robin
Is not followed bv a general campaign
to preserve and even increase ever,
such a C of birds. Scientific exami
nation Of hundreds Of robins has
shown that almost half OF their die
is composed of the insects that NEAR
sure destruction to the trees and crop
of the land. These very insects. i
has been proven. damage the coun
try's crops to the extent OF $500, 000.
000 annually. while their added raw
ages Of woods and stored crops. ii Is
calculated. rob the land of nearly Q
billion dollars each year. Though in
sect pests are known to be increas-
ing. their natural destroyers. the
birds. are being gradually eXterminat
ed at an alarming rate. it is declared
To open the eyes Of the public &c
this crucial situation the National As
sociation of Audubon societies ha,
been exerting its utmost resources for
years in a general educational cam
paign. Encouraged by the results OF
this work for the robins in Louisiana
the officers of the association declar-
ID today that every means at their
command would be used throughout
the country To rouse the people to the
value of the dying birds.
"This is a time Of great emergency
and the people must act at once by
preserving their bird be-
fore IL is too late scad William
butcher. president OF the association,
at its offices. 141 Broadway. today. II
know that some few people realize the
gravity Of the situation, for / am re-
ceiving contributions with letters as
~eftlng that TINS Work Is SECOND onlN
ia economic importance to forest pres
ervation. We are trying to reach ev-
cry man. woman and child in this
broad land with the story of our com
mon danger. and W. want every bird
lover. farmer. merchant and citizen
Of any walk in life to help US push
the enormous task we nave under
taken for the economic good of every
american 4