directly into the domestic life of a family of Chippies. We have a
view, for one day, of all their affairs, both personal and domestic;
and to many it must be a wonderful revelation. It is fortunate for
the birds that their period of infancy is so short, as otherwise
their parents must utterly break down with the task of filling their
ever-open mouths. Beginning at about 3:57 in the morning, these devoted
parents worked almost without cessation till 7:50 in the evening,
bringing food to their four young on an average of twelve times an
hour; or once every five minutes.
What would human parents think of such work? The question arises: When
do the old birds eat? In the case of a nest of this species watched
by the writer on July 11, 1898, feeding of the young ceased at 7:25
in the evening, when both parents flew away. In twenty-five minutes,
that is, at 7:50, the female parent (presumably) returned and settled
on the nest for the night. At that time it was so dark that all other
birds had disappeared. It seems probable that in this last twenty-five
minutes the parent birds filled their own stomachs for the night.
The second of these papers is of a more prosaic character, but not the
less interesting or useful. We have here a record in detail of the
winter food of the Chickadee, showing how largely it consists of those
minute insects, or their still more minute eggs, that injure the trees
and baffle the efforts of man for their extermination.
In both papers we are shown the unpoetical but useful side of
bird-life. These two confiding little birds have endeared themselves to
their human neighbors by their gentle ways and familiar habits; but in
these papers Dr. Weed has shown us that they should be no less dear to
us when viewed entirely from an economic standpoint. We hope he will
give us more of this kind of literature.--F. E. L. Beal.
Check List of British Columbia Birds. By John Fannin, Curator of the
Provincial Museum, Victoria, B. C.
This list forms a part--pages 13-55--of the 'Preliminary Catalogue of
the Collections of Natural History and Ethnology in the Provincial
Museum.' It enumerates 339 species and sub-species, with notes on their
distribution, and will prove exceedingly useful to students of the
bird-life of this interesting region, for a knowledge of the fauna of
which we are so greatly indebted to Mr. Fannin.--F. M. C.
A Preliminary List of the Birds of Belknap and Merrimack Counties,
New Hampshire, with Notes. By Ned Dearborn, Biological
Laboratories, New Hampshire College, Durham.
The author here presents the more important results of ten years'
observation, including also such information as he has gathered from
other naturalists concerning the 187 species recorded from the region
of which he writes. Mr. Dearborn's notes, we are glad to say, are not
restricted solely to statements concerning the rarity or abundance and
manner of occurrence of a given species, but often contain valuable
remarks on habits which show him to be a discriminating student of the
living bird.--F. M. C.
=Book News=
The origin of the present widespread interest in ornithology is so
largely due to the influence of Dr. Coues' classic 'Key to North
American Birds,' that we are sure bird students throughout the world
will welcome the news that its author is engaged in a thorough revision
of his epoch-making work. The new edition, which will be expanded
to fill two volumes, will be richly illustrated by Mr. Fuertes, and
while the advance made in the science of ornithology in the fifteen
years which have elapsed since the publication of the second edition
naturally leads us to expect some improvement in this forthcoming
edition, our credibility in the powers of human achievement is severely
taxed when Dr. Coues asks us to believe that the new 'Key' will be as
far ahead of the second as the second was beyond the first.
The Wisconsin 'Arbor and Bird Day Annual' for 1899, issued by L. D.
Harvey, State Superintendent of Public Instruction (Madison, Wis.), is
a most attractive and useful pamphlet of forty-five pages, containing
original and selected contributions well suited to interest and
instruct children in both the value and beauty of trees and birds. It
may well stand as a model for publications of this nature.
D. C. Heath & Co. have in preparation an elementary bird book by Fannie
Hardy Eckstorm. The book is designed for use as a supplementary science
reader, and it is the author's object to teach children what to see and
how to see it; and, at the same time, to provide them with something to
do.
The May issue of 'Primary Education' (Educational Publishing Co.) is
a 'Bird Day Number,' and contains numerous contributions of value to
teachers and students of birds.
'Our Dumb Animals,' the vigorously edited organ of the Massachusetts
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says of Bird-Lore:
"We recommend this publication to ex-Presidents Cleveland and Harrison.
_It would have much interested President Lincoln._"
'By the Way-Side' is the name of a bright little four-page bi-weekly
issued by Helen M. Boynton, 118 Michigan Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
at one cent a copy. It is devoted to "birds, butterflies, trees,
flowers, insects and fishes, and deserves the support of everyone
interested in popularizing the study of these subjects."
=Bird-Lore=
A Bi-monthly Magazine
Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES
=Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN=
=Published by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY=
=====================================================
Vol. 1 June, 1899 No. 3
=====================================================
=SUBSCRIPTION RATES.=
Price in the United States, Canada, and Mexico,
twenty cents a number, one dollar a year, postage
paid.
Subscriptions may be sent to the Publishers, at
Englewood, New Jersey, or 66 Fifth avenue, New
York City.
Price in all countries in the International Postal
Union, twenty-five cents a number, one dollar and
a quarter a year, postage paid. Foreign agents,
Macmillan and Company, Ltd., London.
-----------------------------------------------------
Manuscripts for publication, books, etc., for review,
should be sent to the Editor at Englewood,
New Jersey.
-----------------------------------------------------
Advertisements should be sent to the Publishers
at Englewood, New Jersey, or 66 Fifth
avenue, New York City.
-----------------------------------------------------
COPYRIGHTED, 1899, BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN.
-----------------------------------------------------
Bird-Lore's Motto:
_A Bird in the Bush is Worth Two in the Hand._
-----------------------------------------------------
It has recently been remarked that the field ornithologists of to-day
are of two kinds: first, those who collect; second, those who observe.
The status of these two types of ornithologists, and the parts they
play in the advancement of the science of ornithology, is a subject of
the utmost importance to every one interested in the study of birds.
A consideration of it leads us to review briefly the progress which
has been made in our knowledge of North American birds during the past
twenty-five years. At the beginning of this period the Smithsonian
Institution contained the only large collection of North American
birds in the world, and our data concerning the exact distribution
and relationships of even our commonest species was of the most
meager character. Since that date the publication of Baird, Brewer
and Ridgway's 'History of North American Birds', of Coues' 'Key' and
Ridgway's 'Manual'; the organization of the American Ornithologists'
Union and of the Biological Survey of the Department of Agriculture,
and the establishment of several natural history museums, have given
a wonderful impetus to the collecting of birds. Naturalists have
explored every corner of the eastern United States, and, with almost
equal thoroughness, the western states, and the fruits of their labors
are shown in the large series of birds now possessed by our leading
museums. In fact, we have now reached a point where only a thoroughly
trained ornithologist or his personally directed assistants can make
collections which will be of real scientific value. Indiscriminate
collecting, therefore, particularly in the eastern United States, in
ninety-nine cases out of a hundred will only result in the duplication
of material already existing.
Not only has there been a great advance in the requirements of
collecting, but in the study of the specimens collected, and the
systematic ornithologist who would hope to add anything to our
knowledge of the distribution and relationships of any group of North
American birds, must possess advantages which can be afforded only by
well-equipped museums.
Turning, now, to the other class of ornithologists, the collectors of
facts, we find that they have been far less active than collectors
of skins. Thus, while we rarely or never refer to Wilson or Audubon
or Nuttall for information concerning the systematic position of a
species, these early writers are still authorities on facts connected
with the life histories of many of our birds.
This subject has been brought very forcibly to our mind by two papers
published in this number of Bird-Lore, and, without going into details,
we wish collectors of birds and their eggs would read carefully the
articles entitled 'The Cardinal at the Hub' and 'Home-Life in a
Chimney,' and then tell us frankly whether they do not think that
the facts therein set forth constitute a more valuable contribution
to the science of ornithology than a Cardinal's skin and five white
egg-shells. If they are both discriminating and sincere, we believe
they will admit the truth of Bird-Lore's motto.
=The Audubon Societies=
"_You cannot with a scalpel find the poet's soul,
Nor yet the wild bird's song._"
Edited by Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright (President of the Audubon Society of
the State of Connecticut), Fairfield, Conn., to whom all communications
relating to the work of the Audubon and other Bird Protective Societies
should be addressed.
DIRECTORY OF STATE AUDUBON SOCIETIES
With names and addresses of their Secretaries.
=New Hampshire= Mrs. F. W. Batchelder, Manchester.
=Massachusetts= Miss Harriet E. Richards, care Boston Society
of Natural History, Boston.
=Rhode Island= Mrs. H. T. Grant, Jr., 187 Bowen street,
Providence.
=Connecticut= Mrs. Henry S. Glover, Fairfield.
=New York= Miss Emma H. Lockwood, 243 West Seventy-fifth
street, New York City.
=New Jersey= Miss Anna Haviland, 53 Sandford Ave.,
Plainfield, N. J.
=Pennsylvania= Mrs. Edward Robins, 114 South Twenty-first
street, Philadelphia.
=District of Columbia= Mrs. John Dewhurst Patten, 3033 P street,
Washington.
=Wheeling, W. Va.= Elizabeth I. Cummins, 1314 Chapline street,
(branch of Penn Society) Wheeling.
=Ohio= Miss Clara Russell, 903 Paradrome street,
Cincinnati.
=Indiana= Amos W. Butler, State House, Indianapolis.
=Illinois= Miss Mary Drummond, Wheaton.
=Iowa= Miss Nellie S. Board, Keokuk.
=Wisconsin= Mrs. George W. Peckham, 646 Marshall street,
Milwaukee.
=Minnesota= Mrs. J. P. Elmer, 314 West Third street,
St. Paul.
=Texas= Miss Cecile Seixas, 2008 Thirty-ninth
street, Galveston.
=California= Mrs. George S. Gay, Redlands.
A Bird Class for Children
One of the most frequent questions asked by those seeking to win
children to an appreciation of birds is, "How, when we have awakened
the interest, can we keep it alive?"
The only way to accomplish this, to my thinking, is to take the
children out-of-doors and introduce them to the 'bird in the bush,' to
the bird as a citizen of a social world as real in all its duties and
requirements as our own.
There is a group of people with ultra-theoretical tendencies, who
insist upon considering the bird merely as a feathered vertebrate
that must not be in any way humanized, or taken from its perch in the
evolutionary scheme, to be brought to the plane of our daily lives.
In teaching children, I believe in striving to humanize the bird as
far as is consistent with absolute truth, that the child may, through
its own love of home, parents, and its various desires, be able to
appreciate the corresponding traits in the bird. How can this best be
done? By reading to children? That is one way; and good, accurate, and
interesting bird books are happily plentiful. But when the out-door
season comes, little heads grow tired of books, and anything that seems
like a lesson is repugnant.
Then comes the chance to form a bird class, or a bird party, if the
word class seems too formidable. A dozen children are quite enough to
be easily handled. The ages may range from six to twelve. Arrange to
have them meet outdoors once a week, in the morning, during June and
July. A pleasant garden or a vineclad piazza will do for a beginning;
it is inadvisable to tire children by taking them far afield until
they have learned to identify a few very common birds in their natural
surroundings.
Children who are familiar with even the very best pictures of birds
must at first be puzzled by seeing the real bird at a distance, and
perhaps partly screened by foliage. The value of the out-door bird
class is, that to be successful it must teach rapid and accurate
personal observation.
"Very true," you say, "but the birds will not stay still while the
children are learning to observe." Yes; yet this difficulty may be met
in two ways. If you are so situated that you can borrow say twenty-five
mounted birds from a museum or the collection of a friend, you will
have a very practical outfit.
Choose four or five birds, not more for one day, take them outdoors,
and place them in positions that shall resemble their natural haunts as
much as possible. For example, place the Song Sparrow in a little bush,
the Bluebird on a post, and the Chippy on a path. Let the children look
at them near by and then at a distance, so that a sense of proportion
and color value will be developed unconsciously.
After this, the written description of the habits of the birds, which
you must read or tell the children, will have a different meaning. This
method may be varied by looking up live specimens of the birds thus
closely observed.
"True," you say again, "but I cannot beg or borrow any mounted birds."
Then take the alternative. Buy from the Massachusetts Audubon Society,
234 Berkeley St., Boston, for a dollar, one of its Audubon Bird Charts.
This chart is printed in bright colors and is accompanied by a little
pamphlet describing the twenty-six common birds that are figured. These
are the (1) Downy Woodpecker, (2) Flicker, (3) Chimney Swift, (4)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, (5) Kingbird, (6) Bluejay, (7) Bobolink, (8)
Red-winged Blackbird, (9) Baltimore Oriole, (10) Purple Finch, (11)
American Goldfinch, (12) Chipping Sparrow, (13) Song Sparrow, (14)
Scarlet Tanager, (15) Barn Swallow, (16) Cedar Bird, (17) Red-eyed
Vireo, (18) Black and White Warbler, (19) Yellow Warbler, (20) Catbird,
(21) House Wren, (22) Chickadee, (23) Golden-crowned Kinglet, (24) Wood
Thrush, (25) American Robin, (26) Bluebird. Cut the birds carefully
from the chart, back them with cardboard, and either mount them on
little wooden blocks, like paper dolls, or arrange them with wires, so
that they can be fastened to twigs or bushes.
You will be surprised to find how this scheme will interest the
children, who may be allowed sometimes to place the birds themselves.
For those too old for the cut-out pictures, the teachers' edition of
'Bird-Life', with the colored plates in portfolios, will be found
invaluable. The separate pictures may be taken outdoors and placed in
turn on an easel behind a leaf-covered frame, with excellent effects--a
few natural touches and the transition from indoors out often changing
one's entire point of view.
One thing bearing on the question of bird study. If children ask you
questions that you cannot answer as they surely will, do not hesitate
to say "I don't know." Never fill their minds with fables guised as
science, that they must unlearn.
Now a material point. When you have entertained your class for an hour,
never more, lend the affair a picnic ending and give them a trifling
lunch before they go; something very simple will do--cookies and milk,
or even animal crackers!
The young animal of the human species, as well as many others, is a
complexity of stomach and brain, and it is well to administer food to
each in just proportion.
M. O. W.
Reports of Societies
WISCONSIN SOCIETY
Mrs. Elizabeth W. Peckham, secretary of the Wisconsin Society, sends to
Mr. Stone the first annual report of that body, from which we extract
the following:
"This society was organized April 20, 1897. The first efforts of the
executive board were in the direction of securing the coöperation of
the press in this city and throughout the state. The response was most
generous, and it is probable that more effective work has been done
through this agency than in any other way.
"The next appeal was to clergymen of all denominations, who were asked
to preach upon the fashion of wearing wild bird feathers. Here, again,
they received valuable aid and encouragement.
"In May, 100 circulars were sent to Milwaukee milliners, asking their
assistance in the work of reform, and announcing that there would be
held, in the fall, an Audubon millinery opening. This opening, which
took place in October, was well attended, and served its purpose in
calling attention to the existence and meaning of the society.
"The coöperation of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and
also of the Board of School Directors of this city, has been secured.
The response of the Milwaukee School Board was especially cordial and
encouraging. Talks upon the subject of bird protection have already
been given in several of the city schools, and it is intended that the
main work of the society for the coming year shall be done among the
teachers and school children of the state.
"The society is much to be congratulated in that, before it came into
existence, Bird Day had been established in Wisconsin. We can only
appreciate our good fortune in this respect by noting the difficulties
that are thrown in the way of the Audubon societies of other states
when they attempt to win the consent of their legislatures to this
step. We owe this great advantage to Mr. J. E. Morgan, of Sauk county.
"Although our Audubon Society is one of the largest in the United
States, we are working under great disadvantages, since we have, so far
as we can discover, the smallest income of them all. In order that no
one may be excluded, we have made our life membership fee exceedingly
small, so that it brings in an amount quite insufficient to meet the
expenses of printing, buying and distributing literature. We therefore
make an earnest appeal to intelligent men and women to become members
of the society, or to send us contributions of money. We are especially
anxious to increase the number of our associate members, who pay one
dollar a year, and thus provide us with a steady income."
Mrs. Peckham reports a total membership of 5,141, and writes that since
the publication of the report from which we have just quoted, "through
the coöperation of our State Superintendent of Public Instruction, our
society has formed 175 branches among the school children. These branch
societies include over four thousand members, including teachers and
children."
NEW HAMPSHIRE SOCIETY
On the 6th day of April, 1897, at the call of Mrs. Arthur E. Clarke,
a meeting was held at her residence in Manchester, for the purpose
of organizing the New Hampshire Audubon Society, which was duly
accomplished.
The work of the society throughout the state is carried on by means of
branch societies, the presidents of which act as vice-presidents of the
state society; or, when this is not practicable, local secretaries are
appointed to carry on the work, and such secretaries have already been
appointed in more than twenty places.
Special pains has been taken to influence the children in the public
schools. A junior Audubon society was early formed, and a very
interesting meeting was held in June, 1897, at which about three
hundred school children were present. A similar meeting was held in
June, 1898, and it is proposed to hold others from time to time.
With the same end in view, an 'Outline of Bird Study' was prepared for
use in the schools.
At the suggestion of the society, extracts from the game laws of the
state, relating to penalties for the destruction of song birds and
their eggs, have been posted in conspicuous places, thanks to the
prompt and energetic action of the street and park commissioners.
Similar action has been taken in various other cities and towns.
Lectures were given by Mrs. Orinda Hornbrooke, Mrs. Alice Freeman
Palmer, on 'The Educational Side of Bird Protection,' and by Mrs.
Harriet E. Richards, secretary of the Massachusetts society, on the
general work of the Audubon societies.
The society has distributed nearly 7,000 leaflets and circulars,
several of them having been procured of the United States government,
through the kindness of our members of Congress.
An additional circular has recently been issued in which prizes are
offered to the school children of New Hampshire on the following
conditions: Two prizes, one of ten dollars and one of five dollars to
children over twelve and under seventeen years of age; and two more,
one of five dollars and one of three dollars to children under twelve
years of age. These prizes are to be awarded for the best compositions
on 'Birds,' the compositions to be written as the result of personal
observation, the contest to close January 1, 1900.
The society has adopted the bird chart lately published by the
Massachusetts Society, and is introducing it as rapidly as possible
into the schools of the state.
Annie V. Batchelder, _Sec'y._
A Message from Madame Lehmann
At the second annual meeting of the New York State Audubon Society,
Madame Lilli Lehmann, whose love of animals is perhaps even greater
than her love of music, made an eloquent appeal to women to cease from
feather-wearing, which she characterized as a form of barbarism, and to
aid the Audubon Societies in their efforts to protect the birds.
Through the editor of Bird-Lore, she sends to the Audubon Societies the
following message, the tenor of which, it will be noticed, is in close
accord with the views of the editor of this Department, as expressed in
the last issue of this Journal.--F. M. C.
Madame Lehmann writes: "Tell the Societies that I take the greatest
interest in their work, that I do everything I can, and every minute,
if the occasion offers, to protect the birds.
"Tell them, also, that it is the duty of everyone to _speak_ and to
_do_ something every day for the cause; that it is not sufficient
to give a dollar or two--that alone will never help us. It is the
living word, the reasons given, the good example and the _teaching_ to
everyone that can bring us further in civilization."
Two New Audubon Societies
We announce with pleasure the formation of Audubon Societies in Texas
and in California. The Texas Society was organized on March 4, at
Galveston, with Miss Cecile Seixas as secretary. The organization of
the California Society was lately completed at Redland, with Mrs.
Geo. S. Gay as secretary. The addresses of the secretaries of these
societies are given in our 'Directory,' and we trust that they will
receive the coöperation of all bird-lovers in their respective states.
American Society of Bird Restorers
A report of the work of the American Society of Bird Restorers,
prepared by Mr. Fletcher Osgood, its organizer and manager, will appear
in Bird-Lore for August.
Birds and Farmers