spring and summer in their respective towns. If no one person knows
enough to teach the others let them club together, buy a few books,
and, going out of doors, work out the problems of identification as
best they may, until every little village has a nature study class
working its way, Chautauqua-Circle fashion. Remember one point, please.
No society can succeed that is content to count the quantity rather
than quality of its members. One hundred intelligent members who know
how to spread the _why_ and _how_ of the crusade are worth 10,000 who
have merely 'joined' because someone they were proud of knowing asked
them to and it was easier to say 'yes' than 'no,' especially as the
_saying_ was all it cost. Also, no society succeeds that _bores_ people
into joining it. Remember that no matter how near one's own heart a
project may be, we have no right to _force_ it upon others. We have no
right to take people by the throat, so to speak, to make them pause and
listen, but setting a high standard, holding out a helping hand and
making the way attractive to those who wish to reach it is a different
thing, and is the only sane policy under which Audubon Societies can
be conducted. One word to you who wish to see the societies flourish,
who love birds, but are shy and retiring, and do not care to commit
yourselves to joining anything. You may safely join the cause in
_spirit_ by sending a nice little check to the treasurer of your local
state society. Piers Plowman discovered long ago that he couldn't
"spede" far without money, neither can the Audubon Societies.--M. O. W.
A Letter from Governor Roosevelt
At the annual meeting of the New York State Audubon Society, held in
the American Museum of Natural History on March 23, 1899, a letter was
read from Governor Roosevelt, which is of such interest and importance
that we print it in advance of a report of the meeting, which will
appear in a future issue.
Governor Roosevelt regretted his inability to be present, and addressed
the following letter to Mr. Frank M. Chapman, Chairman of the Executive
Committee:
_My dear Mr. Chapman_:--
I need hardly say how heartily I sympathize with the purposes of the
Audubon Society. I would like to see all harmless wild things, but
especially all birds, protected in every way. I do not understand how
any man or woman who really loves nature can fail to try to exert all
influence in support of such objects as those of the Audubon Society.
Spring would not be spring without bird songs, any more than it would
be spring without buds and flowers, and I only wish that besides
protecting the songsters, the birds of the grove, the orchard, the
garden and the meadow, we could also protect the birds of the sea shore
and of the wilderness.
The Loon ought to be, and, under wise legislation, could be a feature
of every Adirondack lake; Ospreys, as every one knows, can be made the
tamest of the tame, and Terns should be as plentiful along our shores
as Swallows around our barns.
A Tanager or a Cardinal makes a point of glowing beauty in the green
woods, and the Cardinal among the white snows.
When the Bluebirds were so nearly destroyed by the severe winter a
few seasons ago, the loss was like the loss of an old friend, or at
least like the burning down of a familiar and dearly loved house. How
immensely it would add to our forests if only the great Logcock were
still found among them!
The destruction of the Wild Pigeon and the Carolina Paroquet has meant
a loss as severe as if the Catskills or the Palisades were taken away.
When I hear of the destruction of a species I feel just as if all the
works of some great writer had perished; as if we had lost all instead
of only part of Polybius or Livy.
Very truly yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.
Reports of Societies
PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY
The Audubon Society of Pennsylvania was organized in October, 1896,
and was the first society to follow the admirable example set by
Massachusetts. During the first year 2,200 members were enrolled and
nearly 30,000 circulars distributed. The first annual report was sent
out in November, 1897, and it mentions a 'Hat Show,' and a course
of lectures to be given in Philadelphia during the spring. Both of
these were carried out with marked success, the 'Hat Show' attracting
much attention to the work of the society, and the lectures adding
materially to its income, as there are no dues of any kind connected
with membership. The second annual report appeared in November,
1898, and announces an increase of 1,100 members during the year. It
referred to the fact that as a direct result of the 'Hat Show' several
of the best milliners had established special Audubon departments.
Lectures were given in many parts of the state with most satisfactory
results, and finally, the coöperation of school teachers was solicited
to observe May 5, 1899, as Bird-Day. A course of five lectures, by
Mr. Stone, will be given this year at the Acorn Club, Philadelphia,
beginning March 16. A number of new slides have been bought by the
society to illustrate these lectures, and the course promises to be
more interesting than ever. Since the second report was issued seven
new local secretaries have been secured, making 42 in all. It is hoped
that this number will be doubled during the coming year, for as the
membership, which is now nearly 3,800, continues to increase, the need
of workers throughout the state becomes more important every day.
Julia Stockton Robins, _Sec'y._
INDIANA SOCIETY.
In 1889 the Indiana Academy of Science appointed a committee, of which
I was chairman, to secure the passage of a satisfactory law for bird
protection. The committee accomplished nothing. It was continued,
and in 1891 secured the enactment of the enclosed law. The Academy
of Science has, through its efforts in the way of advancing science
work in the public schools of the state, encouraged and taught bird
protection. In this it has had, since 1890, the coöperation of the
Indiana Horticultural Society.
In 1897 at different times several bodies were interested in the
movement in favor of bird protection. These appointed committees united
in a call for a meeting to be held at Indianapolis. A programme was
prepared, and the meeting held in the State House April 26, 1898. I
send you a copy of the call and programme; also of the constitution
of the Indiana Audubon Society. The Governor, and Superintendent of
Public Instruction have both been much interested, and as a consequence
Bird Day and Arbor Day were celebrated October 28, 1898. The "Outline
of Township Institute Work" has gone into the hands of every teacher
and school officer in the state.... You will see that the work we are
doing is practical, even though it is not so much as some States are
accomplishing. I have not the enrollment or statement of publications
issued, but counting the issue of the State Department of Public
Instruction, 20,000 copies of different articles, at least, have been
distributed.
Amos W. Butler, _Sec'y._
ILLINOIS SOCIETY.
The past year has shown a very marked improvement as the results of
bird protection and the general work of our Illinois Audubon Society.
While the fashion for decorating hats with feathers still continues,
yet there is a very noticeable decrease in the display of aigrettes
and the feathers of wild birds. I have visited the establishments of
several of our Chicago wholesale milliners and find that the larger
portion of their stock, this fall, is made up of the feathers of the
domestic fowl and game birds. Our Audubon Society has had two public
meetings this year, which were well attended, and the interest in its
work has rather increased than abated. Our membership has increased to
3,426. We have liberally distributed leaflets, including 500 of our
circulars, stating the purpose of the society, to the editors of local
newspapers in the state, with request that they aid the society by
publishing same and calling attention to it editorially.
On February 7, 1898, an Interstate Convention was held in Chicago,
represented by the game and fish wardens, and delegates appointed by
the legislatures of the six states which responded to the call. At the
request of Mr. Witmer Stone, I presented at this convention the text
of a new law for the protection of birds and their nests and eggs, as
drafted by our committee on Bird Protection. The convention agreed to
submit the proposed law to each of their respective legislatures.
Great credit is due to the efficient work which has been done in our
state by Warden H. W. Loveday and his deputies. Since the first of the
year over one hundred prosecutions and convictions have been made, for
the wanton killing and trapping of song and insectivorous birds by
men and boys largely Italians and Bohemians. In 1897 there were 580
convictions in the state for the illegal killing and transportation of
game birds. This year the game has been so carefully watched and such
prompt action taken of reported cases of violation, that the poachers
and market hunters have been less bold, and the number of arrests and
seizures of game have been reduced over one-half.
On April 9, 1898, as a result of the efforts of County Superintendent
of Schools Mr. Orville T. Bright, a meeting was held in Chicago in the
interest of the school teachers of Cook county. Over three hundred
were present, and the meeting was devoted exclusively to birds, and
addresses given by several members of the Audubon Society. A "Finding
List" of sixty species of birds, compiled by Mr. Frank E. Sanford,
Superintendent of the La Grange, Ill., Schools, was distributed. This
is a most effective method to inspire the teachers and in turn impart
their love for birds to the scholars.
Ruthven Deane, _President_.
IOWA SOCIETY.
Under the auspices of the Keokuk Woman's Club, the Audubon Society of
Iowa was organized April 5, 1898.
The first work taken up was the establishment of Bird Day in the public
schools.
The second meeting was held in Rand Park. Short talks were made by
Hazen I. Sanger, John Huiskamp, Rabbi Faber, Doctor Ehinger, and a
paper was read by Miss Read.
We have bought and distributed through the schools, from kindergarten
up, bird pictures and bird literature.
One of our men milliners asked to become a member.
On August 6 the officers of the society met and adopted articles of
incorporation, this being the first Audubon Society to be incorporated
under the laws of Iowa. The laws of Iowa give fair protection to the
birds; our work is in creating the right sentiment.
Nellie S. Board, _Sec'y._
MINNESOTA SOCIETY
Mr. John W. Taylor, President of the Minnesota Audubon Society, reports
the passage of a law establishing Arbor and Bird Day in Minnesota,
and writes: "It is, as you can well imagine, a source of great
gratification to the lover of birds in the state, and especially to
the Audubon Societies. Through this law we can do more towards bird
protection than we could accomplish in many years' labor without it.
It brings the subject before the teachers and children, and as you
educate the child so you mould the man. We have now in this state 58
branch societies, besides many school organizations and children's bird
clubs. The number of members I am not able to give, as I have not all
the reports in. We have sent out considerable literature, and used the
press largely to interest our people. We feel that we are doing wonders
for the first active year we have had, and congratulate ourselves that
the hardest work is done. We hope by April 1st to have a branch in
every county in Minnesota."
* * * * *
Reports from the New Hampshire and Wisconsin Societies and a notice of
the American Society of Bird Restorers are necessarily postponed until
June.
_... READY THIS MONTH ..._
Nature Study For Grammar Grades
_A Manual for the Guidance of Pupils below the High School in the Study
of Nature_
BY
WILBUR S. JACKMAN, A.B.
Dep't of Natural Science, Chicago Normal School
Author of "Nature Study for the Common Schools," "Nature Study and
Related Subjects," "Nature Study Record," "Field Work in Nature Study,"
etc.
REVISED EDITION
In preparing this Manual, it has been the author's aim to propose,
within the comprehension of grammar school pupils, a few of the
problems which arise in a thoughtful study of nature, and to offer
suggestions designed to lead to their solution.
That pupils need some rational and definite directions in nature
study, all are generally agreed. But to prepare the outlines and
suggestive directions necessary, and to place these within the reach
of each pupil, is more than any ordinary teacher has time to do, even
granting that she is fully prepared for such work. The utter futility
of depending upon oral suggestions during the class hour, when the
pupils are supposed to be doing individual work, is easily apparent
on a moment's reflection. With a manual of directions in hand, each
pupil may be made strictly responsible for a certain amount of work,
either in the field or in the laboratory. This removes all occasion for
that interruption in his work, which is, otherwise, due to the pupil's
attempt to _think_ and at the same time _hear_, what the teacher says.
Recent Publications on Nature Study
=Bailey's First Lessons With Plants.= $.40 _net_
"Extremely original and unusually practical."
=Ingersoll's Wild Neighbors.= $1.50
"Instructive as well as delightful."--_Popular
Science Monthly._
=Lange's Hand-Book of Nature Study.= $1
"The style of the book is fresh and inspiring."
=Murché's Science Readers.=
Vol. I. 25 cents.
Vol. II. 25 cents.
Vol. III. 40 cents.
Vol. IV. 40 cents _net_.
Vol. V. 50 cents _net_.
Vol. VI. 50 cents _net_.
=Weed's Life Histories of American Insects.= $1.50
"An unusually attractive book."--_Dial._
=Wilson's Nature Study in Elementary Schools.=
First Nature Reader 35 cents
Second Nature Reader 35 cents
Teacher's Manual 90 cents
=Wright's Citizen Bird.= $1.50
An interesting story, giving to the children
much accurate information about American
birds.
"Most delightful book on the subject yet
printed in the United States. I wish every
boy and girl could read it."--J. M. Greenwood,
Sup't Kansas City, Mo.
=Wright's Four-Footed Americans.= $1.50
Four-Footed American Mammals treated in
story form in the manner of _Citizen Bird_.
=Wright's Birdcraft.= $2.50 _net_
PUBLISHED BY
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, New York
* * * * *
Vol. 1 20c. a Copy
No. 3 JUNE, 1899 $1 a Year
=Bird-Lore=
[Illustration]
Edited by
FRANK M. CHAPMAN
The Macmillan Company
ENGLEWOOD, N. J.
NEW YORK LONDON
_R. Weber_
COPYRIGHT, 1899, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN
=Bird-Lore=
June, 1899
CONTENTS
Gannets on Bonaventure. Illustrated _Frank M. Chapman_ 71
Clark's Crows and Oregon Jays on Mount Hood. Illustrated
_Florence A. Merriam_ 72
The Masquerading Chickadee. Verse _Edith M. Thomas_ 77
Matins. Verse _Rosa Meyers Mumma_ 77
Home-Life in a Chimney. _Mary F. Day_ 78
Three Cobb's Island Pictures. Illustrated _William L. Baily_ 81
The Cardinal at the Hub. Illustrated _Ella Gilbert Ives_ 83
A Catbird Study. Illustrated _Dr. Thos. S. Roberts_ 87
FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
On the Ethics of Caging Birds _Olive Thorne Miller_ 89
A May Morning _Fred H. Kennard_ 91
FOR YOUNG OBSERVERS
A February Walk. _Mildred A. Robinson_ 94
Illustration--Robin on Nest. _T. S. Hankinson_ 95
Robin Rejoice. Verse _Garrett Newkirk_ 95
NOTES FROM FIELD AND STUDY 96
Inquisitive Magpies, _J. Alden Loring_; Songs of Birds,
_Frank E. Horack_
BOOK NEWS AND REVIEWS 97
Evans' Birds; Weed on the Feeding Habits of the Chipping Sparrow,
and Food of the Chickadee; Fannin's Check-list of British
Columbian Birds; Dearborn's List of Birds of Belknap and
Merrimack Counties, N. H.; Book News.
EDITORIAL 99
AUDUBON DEPARTMENT 100
Editorial; Reports from Wisconsin and New Hampshire Societies;
A Message From Madame Lehmann; Two New Audubon Societies;
Birds and Farmers.
×*× _Bird-Lore is published at Englewood, New Jersey, where all
manuscripts intended for publication, books, etc., for review, and
exchanges should be sent._
PUBLISHERS' ANNOUNCEMENT
Bird-Lore for August will contain an article by Bradford Torrey; A
paper on How to Photograph Wild Birds, by Richard Kearton, the most
successful of bird photographers; A poem by Garrett Newkirk; An account
of a Mississippi Swallow Roost, by Otto Widmann (whose paper on a visit
to the birthplace of Audubon is necessarily postponed); a report of the
American Society of Bird Restorers, by the organizer, Fletcher Osgood,
and other interesting articles.
[Illustration: GANNETS ON BONAVENTURE ISLAND
Photographed from nature by Frank M. Chapman]
=Bird-Lore=
A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE
DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS
Official Organ of the Audubon Societies
=======================================
Vol. 1 June, 1899 No. 3
=======================================
Gannets on Bonaventure
BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN
(_See Frontispiece_)
[Illustration]
Gannets (_Sula bassana_) are known to nest in only three places in
North America--Perroquet Island, the Bird Rocks, and Bonaventure
Island, all in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. By far the largest colony
is found on the last named island, where, on the ledges of the
red sandstone cliffs, some three hundred feet in height, they are
practically secure from molestation. Bonaventure Island itself,
however, is the most accessible of the three localities mentioned, and
may be easily reached in a small fishing boat from the neighboring
village of Percé, where the famous Percé Rock, with its colony
of Herring Gulls and Double-crested Cormorants, makes the region
particularly interesting to the ornithologist.
The Gannet cliffs are on the east side of Bonaventure, and are exposed
to the full force of the sea. To visit them satisfactorily, therefore,
one should select a calm day, when one may closely approach the cliffs,
and view with both safety and comfort the long, white rows, containing
thousands of birds nesting on the shelves and ledges on the face of the
cliff; a remarkable spectacle!
The unusually turbulent sea which prevailed during my visit to these
cliffs, on July 11, 1898, prevented me from securing satisfactory
pictures from a boat, but, landing on the west side of Bonaventure,
I crossed the island (here about one and a half miles in width),
and reached a position on the crest of the cliffs, from which the
accompanying picture was made. About four hundred Gannets are shown
nesting on this single ledge--one of many quite as densely populated.
Preparations were made to secure a picture of these birds on the wing,
but my best efforts to startle them into flight did not succeed in
making a single bird leave its nest!
Clark's Crows and Oregon Jays on Mount Hood
BY FLORENCE A. MERRIAM
(_Concluded from page 48_)
[Illustration: CLARK'S CROW AND OREGON JAY
Photographed from nature by Florence A. Merriam]
Although the Nutcrackers and Jays were masters of the feast,
they did not altogether monopolize it. Ground squirrels with golden
brown heads and striped backs would look out at me from the rocks, and
pretty little striped-nosed chipmunks would pick up choice morsels and
climb nimbly back along the cliff with them. Juncos often dropped in,
pecked indifferently at the crumbs, slipped off the tin cans they tried
to perch on, and flew off. Two Lewis' Woodpeckers stopped one day and,
flying down, clung awkwardly to the side of the cliff, as if vaguely
wanting to join in the proceedings, but not knowing how, finally left.
A single Steller's Jay hung around the outskirts in the same way, the
first day I was there. He hopped about, looked this way and that,
and pecked at the food perfunctorily, as if it was new to his palate
and not quite to his mind, acting altogether as if he realized that
something was going on he ought to be enjoying, though he really didn't
see just where the fun came in. Unlike the Woodpeckers, however, he was
determined to improve his opportunities, and cultivated his appetite so
successfully that on the last day when I visited the dining-room he and
a comrade were working away, apparently enjoying the viands as much as
their neighbors.
But the Crows and Oregon Jays were the regular habitues of the place.
When resting from his labors a solitary Crow would often perch on
the tip of a bare spar on the crest of the cliff, apparently quite
satisfied with his own society, but I never saw a Jay there, and one
whom I did see separated from his band for a moment fairly made the
welkin ring with shouts for his clan. Several Clark's Crows were often
at the table with the Jays, but while I never saw a Crow disturb a
Jay, a Crow would often fly with animation at a newcoming fellow
Crow. This was a surprise to me, for on Mt. Shasta I had seen the
Nutcrackers hunting in bands quite as the Jays did here. But on the
wide lava slopes of Shasta there were, doubtless, grasshoppers enough
for all the world, while here the feast was restricted to the foot of
one cliff on the mountain--quite a different matter. When I spoke to
Mrs. Langille about this difference in disposition, she acquiesced as
if it were an old story to her, unhesitatingly denominating the Jays
'generous fellows,' and the Crows 'greedy' ones.
[Illustration: OREGON JAYS
Photographed from nature by Florence A. Merriam]
One Crow made a special exhibition of egoistic tendencies. He was
engaged in hurriedly carrying off future breakfasts for himself when a
party of brother Crows appeared. He had been working with absorption,
flying back and forth to the table with eager haste, being gone less
than half a minute at a time, but on the arrival of his friends
dropped his work and devoted himself to driving them from the field.
Not content with keeping them from the table, he flew at them with a
strange note of ominous warning when they sat quietly in the tree-tops.
It seemed as if he were nervous lest they discover what he had been
storing among the branches. When he had fairly routed the enemy he
apparently acted on his fear of discovery, for, instead of placing his
supplies near at hand as before, he flew out of sight with them. As
before, he worked with nervous haste. As I looked down on the tree-tops
from above it was impossible to see where he put all the food, but
several times when he flew up in sight he seemed to be sticking small
bits between the needles of the pines. As the bunches of needles are
compact and stiff in this white-barked pine (_Pinus albicaulis_), this
might be a safe temporary cache, but the winter gales that make it
necessary to hold down the Inn with huge cables would presumably leave
little biscuit between the needles of a pine.
The question is, do these birds--and others which hoard--really use
their stores? The testimony of all who are in the field in winter is
needed to clear up the matter. The first point to be determined is
whether the individual birds winter where they store. The Nutcrackers,
Mr. Langille informed me, do remain at the high altitudes all the year.
As he said, it is stormy indeed when they cannot be seen sailing across
the cañons or perched on the topmost branches of the trees, screaming
and calling in their harsh way, always restless and seeming to resent
any intrusion of man, beast, or fowl. On the other hand, he said that
the Jays seldom remain at the high altitudes during the winter months,
usually descending to lower elevations, where they flit about in flocks
of from six to twenty, sounding their plaintive varied notes and
whistles at all times.
[Illustration: CLARK'S CROW
Photographed from nature by Walter K. Fisher]
Nevertheless, the storing of the Crows at this altitude was certainly
much less systematic than that of the Jays. The Jays' movements were
easy to follow, for they were concerted and regular. The Inn was on
a ridge between two cañons, and commanded the birds' pathway. A band
would come up from under the cliff at the top of the western cañon,
cross over the ridge, and drop down into the eastern cañon, where they
would fly over the tops of the firs till they disappeared from sight.
They would be gone some little time, and then return empty-handed to
repeat the performance.
The Jays talked a good deal in going back and forth, and their notes
were pleasantly varied. One call was remarkably like the chirp of a
Robin. Another of the commonest was a weak and rather complaining cry,
repeated several times; and a sharply contrasting one was a pure, clear
whistle of one note followed by a three-syllabled call, something
like _ka-wé-ah_. The regular rallying cry was still different, a
loud and striking two-syllabled _ka-wheé_. The notes of Clark's Crow
often suggested the rattling of the Red-headed Woodpecker. The bird
had a variety of _kerring_, throaty notes, and when disturbed, as at
the unexpected sight of me at its dining-room, gave a loud, warning
_quarr_. Besides these Woodpecker-like calls, it had a squawking cry
similar to that of Steller's Jay.