Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-31
Bird Glass
Meetings.

0xIV VlASS uuUOu society OIL 1ue
~A: District of Columbia
This local branch com
prises about % members, and will, the
middle of April. begin its regular out.
door work
Each year for several years past this
society has held a; series of bird classes
at the Franklin School, which in turn
have been followed by field meetings, "
walks through the country under the
guidance of experts, who point out the
various species of feathered songsters
and discuss their characteristics. These
have become SO popular that many per-
sons outside the society have joined in
them, and last year the parties some
times numbered almost hundred.
This years program starts with a bird
class meeting at the Franklin School
April 10 These meetings are under the
direction of Mrs. Florence Merriam Bal
ley. assisted by Miss Marie Boynton and
others of the society, and are held from
I to O'Clock in the afternoon, thus max
ing 1t possible for almost any one to at
tend. AT these meetings bird skins, COM
pr,sing collection belonging to the local
Audubon Society, are studied In this
way those who go out on the walks can
examine closely the skins of birds they
have seen. and thus become more def
niteiy impressed with their characters
ties.
The first field meeting" will be April
q. The bird class meetings are held
Tuesdays, four in success
First Field sion. and the field meetings
Ma.+;rr five consecutive Saturdays.
Meetlng. On these ra,nh,.s o,,,;+bo1
partment of Agriculture, will lead the
parties in their searches for the birds.
1t is SO arranged that practically the
whole day can be given to these walks,
while those who desire may return at
noon Each person is expected to bring
his own lunch and pay his own carfare.
To members of the society the walks are
free. while a. small fee is required from
outsiders. The first walk will be around
Dyke, Va. The members of the walk will
leave on the $40 train from Mount YER
non station, and in this way begin their
rambles will be Cabin john Bridge and
vicinity. Firesco, Va; Chain bridge to
Cherrydale, Va, and Great Falls, va.
The committee in charge of these field
meetings is composed of Clarence r..
Shoemaker, chairman: Mrs Clarence A.
Aspinwall. Miss NJ. Cleveland. Prof. w.
w. Cooke and Mrs. G. G. Gould.
At these field meetings the members
carry strong telescopes or glasses. The
ornithologist in charge leads the party,
and when a bird is sighted silent notice is
given and the members Immediately use
their glasses and thus study the little
bird without afrighting him. At the same
time the leader of the party will give the
history and characteristics of the species.
Last year these parties We're comprised
a rin k
ling of children. One of the most pleas
ing features of the walks. from the stand
points of the society membe: is the in
terest taken by the children. There is
always group Of children along with the
grown-ups, and sometimes they are ahead
of their elders and waiting to greet them
with a long list of birds they have seen.
IF the children can be made to take
an intelligent interest in the birds" said
member of the So
Juvenile ciety. lit is long step
Tn+arae+ on the way to protecting
e''' them. If the children
learn their habits and characteristics
they much prefer watching them, or even
feeding or building houses for them, to
hurting Them.
Some idea of what is accomplished on
these walks can be obtained when it is
understood that on one walk alone fifty
five species of birds were seen. Alto
gether last year considerably more than
lp species were noted. Nor does the
work stop with the walks. During the
winter months many of the members are
almost as active as during the summer.
One. for instance, fed flock of over
twenty cartridges in her back yard all
winter. Another, almost every morning.
would discover some birds partaking of
her hospitality. and on one occasion
found five species eating at the same
time.
The officers of the local Audubon So
ciety are as follows: Job Barnard, presi-
dent; Charles j. Bell, Mrs. Henry Blount,
George r. Bowerman, John Burroughs,
DR.. William NJ. Davidson, II. Theodore
ard. Bernard T. Janney, Mrs. Rudolph
Kaufman. Mrs. William Bruce King.
DIR. F. ii. Knowlton. Mrs. George Cotton
Maynard. DR.. c. Hart Merriam. Theodore
w. Moves, II. G. Oberholser, Mrs. John
Dewhurst Patten, Clifford Pinchot, Theo-
dore Roosevelt, DR.. G. w. Richmond,
Robert Ridgway. Miss Alice l.. Riggs,
Cuno III. Rudolph. Rev. DR.. Frank Sewall,
Thomas W. Sidwell. A. 7. Stuart, Maj.
Richard Sylvester. Henry l.. West. James
vice presidents; Miss Helen P. Childs. sec
rotary; Miss Mary Brickenstein, treasurer
The executive committee consists of
Judge Barnard, chairman: Mrs. Clarence
A. Aspinwall, Mrs. Florence Merriam
Bailey, Dr. Paul Bartsch, Frank Bond,
Miss Marie Boynton, Miss Mary Bricken-
stein, Miss Elizabeth V. Brown, Miss
Helen p. Childs, Miss Ella Given, Arthur
H. Howell, l.. d. Miner, Henry Oldys,
DIR. T. S. Palmer, Mrs. Wallace Rad
cliffe, c. r. Shoemaker, Miss Emma
Strider and Miss Suter.
In addition to the regular society, there
Is a junior society, to which boys and
girls under eighteen years of
Junior age can belong. Miss Emma
c.:A, Strider, as secretary of this
0ocAeIy' society, is the only officer.
to this branch costs % cents.
No matter what the child's age upon en-
trance to the junior society. the one men,
bership fee suffices unit; the age limit is
reached. Then the boy or girl is eligible
to the regular society.
While no definite form of campaigns car
ried on in the public schools, many Of the
teachers are members of the society, as
we'll as those higher up in school mat
tiers here, and many of the school chill
dren belong to the junior society. Mem
bership in this junior society entities the
children to attend the lectures given by
the regular society. as we'll as the annual
meeting. In addition to this also, when
special lectures are planned for the reg
ular society one or more is usually ar