The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-08-20
me OBSERVATION TENT

The movement for bird protection
which began many years ago in Mas
sachusetts where the first Audubon
society In this country was organized,
has grown with the years until the
movement has become worldwide. 1t
is no longer a national Audubon soci-
ETY.. but an international Audubon So
ciety which is actively engaged in pro-
tecting the bird life of the world from
destruction at the hands Of its innu
merable enemies. both natural and I'M
natural, the two-legged animal man
coming under this latter classified
ton.
The United States as a whole COM
pares most favorably with other
countries in the matter of bird pro-
lection. The history of the "Audu-
bon movement" is most interesting
and significant. 1t really began in
the early eighties, when the Ameri-
can Ornithologists' union earnestly
discussed the matter of the undue
destruction of birds, and the council
OF the union was directed to prepare
memorial to congress to ask for
help in bird protection. From the
United States department of agricul-
ture was secured $4,000, and superin-
tendent, DIR. C. Hart Merriam, was
appointed by the Ornithologists' union
to 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
National Audubon society.
The National Audubon society itself
was organized in 1886, at the sugges-
ton of committee of the American
Pathological union. 1t started under
most fiourishing auspices. receiving en-
couraging letters from such men as
Henry Ward Beecher, John G. Whittier
and Bishop Potter. At the end of 1886
the society had 10000 members. The
next year 1t began to get out a special
organ, the Audubon Magazine, and the
membership increased to $4,000.
Two years later came slump. The
public seemed to lose interest in the
movement. The bird laws were broken
repeatedly. The press paid little at
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. 1t
is 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
to 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. a 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 state Audubon
organization - West Virginia, for in
stance.
The National Association of Audi
bon Societies is not a 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. A 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
ing the weaker ones, maintaining
warden system, by means Of which
sea birds, such as terms, are specially
protected during the breeding sea
son, and attending to all matters of
legislation. Besides all this, the
national committee interests itself
greatly In various bits of educational
work, including the dissemination of
illustrated leaflets. 1t Is also
valued medium of exchange between
the state societies.
Though the foreign methods in