Gunnison news-champion., 1908-08-07

Nv S~Ns pA1 NRS-<-S
The movement for bird protection
which began many years ago In Mas
sachasetts where the FIRST Audubon
society In this country was organized
has grown with the wears until the
movement has become world vide II
D. no longer national Audubon soci-
eiy bat an International Audubon so
cietS which Is actively engaged in pro.
tecting the bird lie of the world from
destruction at the hands of its innu
merabie enemies both natural aud un-
satursl. the two-legged animal man
coming under this latter classiiica-
ton
The United States as a whole com
pares most fsyorsbly ~ith other
countries in the matter of bird pro
lection. The history of the "Audu-
ton movement" is most interesting
end significant II really began in
The early eighties when the Ameri-
can Ornithologisis union earnestly
discussed the matter of the undue
destruction of birds. and the council
OF the union was directed 10 prepare
= memorial To congress TO ask for
help In bird projection From the
United States depart meut of agricul-
ture was secured q. .0o0 and a superin.
tendent. Dr. C. Hart Merriam. was
appointed by the Ornithologists' union
90 help In properly spending the
money. From this beginning has
grown up the biological survey. which
works In close collaboration with both
the department Of agriculture and the
Eatioaai AHdubon society
The National Audubon society itself
was organized in 1856, al the sugges
tioR of q committee Of the American
OrnithOlOgical union. II started under
most hourishing auspices. receiving en-
eouraging letters from such men as
Henry Ward Beecher, John @. Whittier
and Bishop Potter. Al the end of 1856
the society had 5000 members. The
next year II began to get out a special
organ. the Audubon Magazine, and the
membership increased to 81 900
Two years later came a slump. The
public seemed to lose interest in the
movement The bird laws were broken
hV piVHS puiu ii''it
tention to the Audubon workers
Things were discouraging during
the next few years. but in 1896 the
question OF the protection OF birds
was again brought before the public
by the organization of the Massa
Chusetts State Audubon society. II
ts the formation OF such societies all
over the country that has kept the
second Audubon movement from
failing like the first The matter
was simply too large for one society
20 carry out alone.
Pennsylvania and then other states
soon followed the example of Massa-
Chusetts. and at the present time
there are but ten states In the union
In which an Audubon society does not
exist. In most states the societies
are large and continually increasing
They have their own magazine. Bird
Lore. . successor to the old Audubon
Magazine. but much more ambitious.
In all but three of the states which
have the society the uniform Audubon
Law for the protection of non game
birds has been adopted. and this law
Is in force even in some states which
do not possess a state Audubon
organization - West Virginia, for in
stance
The National Association of Audu-
bon Societies is not distinct club.
but simply loosely drawn fedora
ton OF the various state societies.
Its object is to secure uniform action
and establish some sort of union
admitting of concerted action when
occasion arises. national commit
tee has been formed, to which com.
mittee each of the state societies
sends a delegate. This committee
meets every year.
AT present the work OF the ma.
tional society consists in forming new
state Audubon societies. strengthen.
tng the weaker ones, maintaining a
warden system. by means OF which
sea birds. such as terms. are specially
prot ected during the breeding sea
son. and attending to all matters OF
legislation. Besides all this. the
national committee interests itsefl
greatly in various bits OF educational
work. including the dissemination oi
illustrated leaflets. 1t is also a
valued medium of exchange between
the safe societies
Though the foreign mefhods ",