The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-07-23
RESCUE ROBINS.
Battle Won for Red Breast Birds Opens
right for all Audubon Workers.

Battle Won for Red Breast Birds Opens
| right for all Audubon Workers.
New YORK, July 90. After 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 favorite American song bird
is butchered by the million for the mar
ket. That the robin has at last been
removed from the list of game birds by
the legislature of the Creole State was
announced today at the headquarters
of the National Association of Audu-
bon Societies. AS the first fruits of a
persistent campaign of education in the
south, the officers of the association de-
clare, their victory will mean the saw
ing of dollars worth of crops for each
tiny carcass spared as a tld-blt 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Louisiana have repealed the old game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 which declared an 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 it is declared that sentiment i'll
the South is becoming generally aroused
against the slaughter of these fayorite
birds of the country while they winter
in lower ATTITUDES.
That successful agriculture in this
country would become impossible and
vegetation soon be destroyed if the
robin.and his brother birds were eXter-
minated has Just been asserted by Pro
lessor Henshaw of the Biological Sur
vey, and the Audubon authorities de-
clare that his warning may come too
late if this victory for the robin is not
followed by general campaign to pre-
serve and even increase every such race
of birds. Scientific examination OF hun
dreds of robins has shown that almost
half of their diet is composed of the In
SectS that mean sure destruction to the
trees and crops of the land. These very
insects, it has been proven, damage the
country'S crops to the extent OF $780,
600. 900 annually, while their added raw
ages of woods and stored crops. 1t is
calculated. rob the land of nearly bill
lion dollars each year Though insect
pests are known to be increasing, their
natural destroyers, the birds, are being
gradually exterminated at an alarming
rate, it is declared.
To open the eyes of the public to this
crucial situation the National Assocla-
ton of Audubon Societies has been ex-
erting it's utmost resources for years In
a general educational campaign. En-
couraged by the results of this Work
for the robins in Louisiana, the officers
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 time of great emergency
and the people must act at once by pre-
serving their bird resources before IL IS
too late" said William Dutch, presl-
dent of the association, at its ofhces.
141 Broadway. today. Il 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 economical
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, merchant
and citizen of any walk i'll life to help
us push the enormous task we nave
undertaken for the economic good OF
every American"