Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1908-01-11
AUDUBON SOCIETIES.
What They A. anu What They Ad.
vocate.
m n. N. Konmnn- Snncinl Annntl

to be shot, In other words, an Audubo
Society, while not opposed to legitimat
hunting, seeks to create among the pee
pie varied interest in bird life. Whel
1t succeeds in this work, birds are no
associated entirely with the thought o
hunting. The Audubon workers heliey,
: that hunting is a part only of mani
relation to birds. They deal with tn,
value of the live bird; many hunter.
deal only with the value of the deac
bird. The bird protectionists claim that
most birds are more valuable alive than
dead, and that very few birds are val
liable only when they are dead.
The Audubon Societies believe in the
value OF live birds for three principal
reasons: Their service to agriculture,
their beauty, and their appeal to our
humane sentiments. We find that most
birds should be preserved for some or all
OF these reasons. A few birds are most
valuable as food and as objects of sport.
Fewer still are directly injurious to the
interests of man. The destruction of
these is not opposed by the Audubon
Societies
So the Question 10 nor ,roro,n ono
Of sentimental objection to killing birds.
but question of whether a bird is more
valuable to hunter when il ia dood
or more valuable to the average citizcn
when it is alive. That is the only test
by which the matter can be settled
for it is a social question The eoun.
try at large is interested in its proper
solution. The birds do not belong to
any particular class, but thew do be.
long exclusively and inalienabv TO tbo
whole people. There are comparatively
few birds whose destruction does not |
cause loss to society. Society at
large, which does not hunt, is comforting
a favor upon the hunters. therefore,
when it permits them to kill its birds.
The hunters should recollect this. and
instead of debating terms, as thew some.
Tunes try to do, should be governed by
the interests of the people in general,
VINO Will assert themselves in the end,
ana the more unyiedingly the longer
their interests are disregarded. t.
The most important way in which 90.
ciety is served by birds is the destruc.
ton of injurious insects. Millions of
dollars of crops and timber are ruined
annually in this country by these insect
pests. All the important kinds of such
insects are preyed on by various species
If birds. The bullbat, or nightbawk;
he flicker, or yellow hammer; the field
ark the thrasher the robin. and scores
If others are engaged in this warfare
gainst insect enemies. The country :,
annot afford to sacrifice one of them to +
he Pot'hunter or the boy gunner. Ducks, q
nipe, wild turkeys, these are game
lrds, not the kinds whose song, plum.
&c and service to the farmer entitle C
hem to absolute safety in our midst. t,
People have been supposing for many n
ears that the majority of small birds T
ere fit for nothing, and that therefore
was matter of indifference whether
e killed them or not. 1t was supposed es
rest with the conscience of the indi n,
dual whether he was doing wrong re
killing some innocent songbird or some pi
lent and inoffensiye woodneckor b,,Il. OF
1t or raincrow. Now we know that the &C
dividuaPs interest in the fate of these SC
rds is only trille compared with the
crifice suffered by society when we nj
rmit their killing; that, almost with. ar
1t exception, they are of the highest &c
onomic Importance to mankind. tn
These are the considerations that have ur
veloped the Audubon work to its nras. rio
t large proportions, and that have "a "a:
Gated a term that sums nm tbo 80; ~,