The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-19
RESCUE OF ROBINS
BATTLE WON FOR RED BREAST
 BIRDS OPENS FIGHT FOR ALL.
Audubon Workers Champion Crop savers--Nation Faces Periis of
 the Great Insect Eaters

New York, July )--Af- ter four years of desperate fighting, the first battle for Robin Red-Breast has today been won in Louisiana. the heart of the section where this favoritt American song bird is butchered by the millions for the market.
 That the robin has. at last been re- moved from the list of game birds by the Legislature of the Creole tState was announced today at the headquartera of the National Association of Audubon Societies. As the first fruits of a persistent campaign of education in the South, the officers of the associa- ton declare, their victory will mean the saving of dollars worth of crops for each tiny carcass spared as tid- bit for the gourmand.
 By close vote the law-makers of Louisiana have repealed the old game bird law in which the robin was classed as game and have decreed no open sea son for the wholesale destruction of the slightly species. a million members of which were butchered for their mouth fuls of meat last year alone. Only Texas and Alabama of all the Southern States now possess similar statutes, though 1t is declared that sentiment in the South is becoming generally arous- ed against the slaughter of these fa- HQAA&0 9AAQc OA tI6 GVAhhAS WAA41 LkANSJ winter In lower latitudess
 That successful agriculture in this country would become impossible and vegetation soon be destroyed. if the robin and his brother birds wer ex- terminated, has just been asserted by Professor Henshawl of the Biological Suryeyss and the Audubon authorities declare that his warning may come too late if this victory for the robin is not followed by q general campaign to preserve and even increase every such race of birds. Scientific examina- tton of hundreds of robins has shown that almost half of their diet Is com- posed of the Insects that mean sure destruction to the trees and crops of the land. These very insects 1t has been proven, damage the country's crops to the extent of $500, 100000 an- nually. while their added ravages of woods and stored crops, 1t is calculated, rob the land of nearly billion dollars each year. Though insect pests are known to be increasing. their natural destroyers, the birds. are being grad ually exterminated at an alarming rate. 1t is declared.
 To open the eyes of the public to this crucial situation the National Associa- tion of Audubon Societies has been ex- erting it's utmost resources for years in general educational campaign. En- couraged by the results of this work for the robins in Louisiana, the offi- Icers of the association declared today that every means at their command would be used throughout the country to rouse the people to the value of the dying birds.
 This is a time of great emergency and the people must act at once by pre- serving their bird resources before 1t Is too late,' said William Butcher, Presi- dent of the association, at its offices, Al Broadway, today. 'T know that some few people realize the gravity of the situation, for am receiving con- tributions with letters asserting that this work is second only in economic importance to forest preservation. We are trying to reach every man. woman and child in this broad land with the story of our common danger, and we want every bird lover, farmer, mer- chant and citizen of any walk in life to help us push the enormous task we have undertaken for the economic good of every American"