The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-06
TO COUNT THE BIRDS
AUDUBON SOCIETIES TO CONDUCT
 CENSUS.
Will Get Those who are Interested in the Conservation of Country's Neutral Resources to Pro-
 tect Birds,

New York, Dec 5.-To save the crops, woods and waters of America for future Americans by preserving the birds. without whose services few growing things will survive on the continent, is the object of a special campaign that was begun in this city today At the request of the leaders of the movement at Washington, the NationalAssociation of Audubon Socie- ties. has enlisted in the general con- servation crusade, with all its working forces that have for years labored to this end. As a first step to show the rapid decline in the feathered re- sources of the nation a census of the game and forest birds of the entire country has today been projected by the association.
 Five of the leading ornithologists and workers in the Audubon Associa- ton were today selected as a com mittee to represent the importent in- terests of bird protection in co-opera- tion with the other clements in the national conservation organization. With William Butcher. president of the National Association of Audubon Societies. there will serve on this com mittee Edward Howe Forbush who is in charge of the association'S New England department, T. Gilbert Pear son, the head of its offices in the South Frank M Chapman. a leader in Audu- bon field work and Dr. T. s. Palmer who is prominent in the government Biological Survey, the Department of Agriculture as we'll as an active mern- Der of the Association. With the assistance of the authorities at Wash. ington this committee hopes to soon be ready to show the people of the United States some striking evidence of the effect. of bird butchery upon their chief resources.
 A Complete Census.
 To take a compile census of the game and forest birds over every square mile of every section of this country is re- garded here as one of the hardest tasks which the Audubon workers have ever undertaken In their long history of labors to preserve the na- tional bird life. Thousands of detail- ed question blanks are to be sent to sociation the country over. as well as to every known warden. ornithologist and official who Is in touch with local conditions. On the expert observa- tions of this small army of bird lovers and experts a comparative census will be based which the Audubon officials feel sure will show an appalling de- crease in natures feathered forces that insure life to all crops and trees.
 Forest fires such as devastated the country this fan were declared today by the Audubon authorizes in this city to be responsible for wholesale des- truction to Americas bird races For every tree consumed by the flames. homes were lost to breeding birds they declared while millions of the migratory fiocks perished because Of the confiagration. It is known that whole regiments of the smaller species have in many cases been confused and lost in the smoke clouds of the burn Ing regions
 ''when we have proven in this way the tremendous and growing destruc- tion of bird life, which is now seri- ously threatening the crops and gen. eraI material welfare of every Ameri- can, we believe the whole country will come to support our work" said Will liam Butcher. president of the Nation- al Association of Audubon Societies at it's headquarters, Al Broadway, today "It is high time that the people of