Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1908-03-05
sHEPHERDsToWN W. VA. THURSDAY MARCH 5. 1908.
BIRDS NEED CHILD HELP.

New YORK, February 2s-On the
eighteen million school children in
this country final hope of averting the
extinction of the valuable species oi
insectiverous birds in America has
been rested to-day. What the fed
eral government, the state legislatures
and even the oranges, women's clubs
or national commercial organizations
have failed to accomplish completely,
the National Association Of Audubon
Societies have announced will now be
given to the children of the land to
bring about. To organize every body
of pupils, from the largest public
school in this city to the most remote
district school on the Pacific Coast,
into a general movement for housing,
feeding and protecting the wild birds
that save the country's crops is the
object of the Audubon workers today.
General headquarters for this new
campaign of the children are being es.
tablished in the offices of the National
Association of Audubon Societies at
al Broadway today. Already the
organization is in touch with thou
sands of teachers and girls and boys
clubs all over the country, to which 1t
has regularly sent literature on bird
guarding and care. With these as a
nucleus, the children are to push the
fight out into every section Of their
locality, till the members Of each
school in every neighborhood are en-
listed in the work OF building bird
houses and restaurants to sustain the
sadly thinned ranks of the feathered
army of insect destroYers. Special
ammunition in the form of printed di-
rections and suggestions for making
bird shelters and lunch counters is
being prepared for every boy and
girl who will write and ask for it.
Old kettles, boxes or milk, tomato
and kerosene cans are being used by
the children as emergency bird shel.
ters. Elaborate houses, rustic imi-
tations of hollow limbs and neatly fur
nished apartments are also being
planned. All must be made cat.
proof and should face to the South or
West if possible. Like any human
married couple, the feathered pair
who are seeking quarters for rearing
their family in the spring are quite
particular in their taste. If they
find no promising spot for home In
any locality, they will pass on and
leave its fields and gardens at the
mercy of destructive insects. The
children are urged to the immediate
building OF houses for this seasons
bird families, because seasoned and
weather-beaten structures most quick
ly tempt the birds when spring NOV
ing day comes.
The march Of civilization has rob.
bed millions of useful, as well as
slightly and tuneful, birds Of their
old.time facilities for home making,
ornithologists here declared today.
Sheltering tree trunks are being laid
low every year over hundreds OF
acres. The old-fashioned structures,
where birds might flock under open
caves, are being replaced by modern
1
roofs that shut out bird life. Whole
races, like the Chimney Swifts, are
being deprived Of their shelter In the
big, old.style chimneys. Such con-
ditions, combined with lax laws for
spring shooting and pot hunting, will
soon drive the valuable insect-eaters
to extinction, it is agreed. 1t will be
the children's work to house the
eyicted birds at the time when they
not only rear their young but eat
most copiously of the insect crop-de-
stroyers.
"The children are now the great
factor in this great economic move
ment," said William butcher, presi-
dent of the National Association oI
| Audubon Societies today. mot on
ly their patriotism but the self-inter'
est of every one of their parents is the
motive for preventing the extinction
of the beautiful and highly valuable
birds of this country. We are call.
ing on Congress, the Legislatures Of th'
entire country and on every sdul
body to help; but l believe the wOrE
of the school children Of the land vii
accomplish more than all the Othe
methods combined. 1t is fine chsnc
for every boy and girl to do some
thing for his village, State, and tn
country at large and l know the
will not neglect to do their pari
Save the birds is the motto and raj
lying cry of the school children
America"