Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-31
AUDUBON SOCIETY OF THE DISTRICT

I free lecture under the auspices Of the
Audubon Society Tuesday evening, April
.. at the Washington Club The next aft.
ernoon he will speak at Mckinley Manua
Training School to the children.
The first national movement in favor OF
protection of the non-game birds of the
United States was originated in February
1856. 1t was called into existence by the
sudden onslaught made on American birds
to supply the demands Of the millinery
trade of America and Europe. Some Of the
most beautiful birds native to this coun.
try have almost been exterminated te
supply this trade, principal among the list
being the heron, the immense heronies OF
Florida being exterminated. where once
there were acres Of snowy plumage to be
seen. The terms, too, once so abundant
have been almost completely sacrificed tc
satisfy the demands of the same trade.
The local branch of this society was or
ganized May IS, 1897, at the home of
Mrs. John Dewhurst Patten on r street.
bodies, the District of Columbia branch
of the Audubon Society has a place equal
to the various state branches of the
same organization and sends delegates to
the Audubon Association. This Is an or
ganiZation composed Of delegates from
the state society, and was created In
1901. 1t meets annually.
Attractive as may be the sentimental
as is the association with birds in wood
and field said Mrs. Patten. there are
other phases of the work of this society
which appeal to those Of a practical turn
of mind. These are. the advantage of In
telligent study with ornithOlOgiStS of one
of natures largest realms. and the pro-
lection of the birds for the sake of their
services. The value of birds as class
in the preservation of garden. orchard.
forest and, in short. plant life of every
u nd 10 SnpclI2ttOn.
but has reached the point of satisfactory
demonstration. Careful Investigations
have placed beyond question the impor-
tance of the service rendered by birds In
keeping down the horde of insects and
weeds that assail crops. Without the aid
of these natural guardians Of garden and
orchard the difficulties of successful agri-
culture would be greatly augmented. If,
indeed. they would not become lnSur-
mounta bic
In speaking of the work done in Wash
ington, Mrs. Patten continued:
"For the intelligent study of birds
much has been done in the comparative
ly few years of our ex-
Educational istence, in the way Of
free public lectures by
IIocess' men of standing in the
pathological world, field meetings under
the direction of ornithologists at the time
of migration, distribution of valuable lit
erature and the establishment of bird
classes. Much attention is given to work
among the children in our schools. that
they may learn to love the birds and, by
close observation, study their habits in
stead of destroying and robbing the nests
and killing the birds just for something
to do We encourage the hunting of
birds but with the opera glass and
camera. not with the sling or gun"
In addition to this. too. the local branch
has followed the action taken by other
agreement with the Millinery Merchants
Protective Association. By this agree
ment the association pledges itself % to
abstain from the Importation, manufac-
ture, purchase or sale of gulls, terms,
grebes, humming birds. egrets, hetons,
American pelicans and song birds, ire
Spective of the country in which such
birds may have been captured; 90 to no
tffy the millinery trade that the purchase
or sale of these birds is illegal and that
violations of the law will be reported to
the proper authorities.
Current Items of Interest" a little
folder prepared by Henry Oldys. until re-
Gently in the Department of Agriculture,
is one means which the local Audubon
Society takes of keeping its members
posted on the latest events in bird protec-
ton. 1t is made up of a few short items
bearing on all the various points connect
ed with birds.
Many of the state societies have seals.
including the local branch. That of the
District of Columbia bears
SOcietV'S the head of John James
Audubon, surrounded by
>oed1. the words Audubon So
ciety of the District of Columbia. May
Is, 1897 This is used on all the publ
cations gotten out by the local organiza-
ton.
OF all the birds which the Audubon
Society, as a national organization, tries
hardest to protect the heron must take
first place. No plumage is more popular
than the 'aigrette," and none, perhaps,
means a greater slaughter of the birds.
Among the data which the national Or
ganization has gathered on this subject
is the confession Of plume hunter who
for nine years was engaged in the bust
ness of killing egrets in South America
for New York and European milliners-
1.-The birds gather in large colonies to
rear their young this man said. ''They
have the plumes only during the mating
and nesting season After the period
when they are employed in caring for
their young it is found that the plumes
are virtually of no commercial value be-
cause of the worn and frayed condition
to which they have been reduced. 1t IS
the custom in Venezuela to shoot the
birds while the young are in the nests.
A few feathers of the large white heron
can be picked up of a morning about
their breeding places, but these are of
small value and are known as dead
feathers They are worth not over So
an ounce while the feathers taken from
the bird, known as live feathers, are
worth SIS an ounce.
!.
X X
'The natives of the country. who do
virtually all of the hunting for feathers,
are not provident in their
CrueltieS nature, and their prac-
:. tees are of a most cruel
1IdCt1Ccu. and brutal nature. I have
seen them frequently pull the plumes
from wounded birds, leaving the crippled
birds to die of starvation. unable to re-
spond to the cries of their young in the
nests above which were calling for food.
have known these people to tie and prop
up wounded egrets on the marsh. where
they would attract the attention of other
birds flying by. These decoys they keep
in this position until they die of their
wounds or from the attacks of insects.
ITO illustrate the comparatively small
number of dead feathers which are col
lected, 1 will mention that in one year
I and my associates shipped to New
York eighty pounds of the plumes of the
md fuyn dc Nf he