WILD BIRD LIFE.

Shannon News, 12 February 1929, Page 4

WILD BIRD LIFE.

WINS NEW PROTECTION. (Special from Monitor Bureau). New York. Enactment of the game refuge bill, carrying an annual appropriation of 1,000,000 dollars, will be urged on .the next’ Congress by bird lovers, backed by the National Association of Audubon Societies. A review of what has been done during the past year in connection with bind/ qjdnservlatiion and the aims of the Audubon Societies has Just been yn'ade by Dr. T. >Gilbert Pearson, president of the national organisation, at its twenty-fourth annual meeting here. The foremost step in bird. conservation activities in the United States during the past year, Dr. Pearson said, was appointment of a National Committee on Wild Life Legislation, which' includes members of many conservation organisations and game wardens of various states.

Dr. Pearson said that one of the most important federal conservation projects which had been supported by the . National Association of Audubon Societies during the year* was an appropriation of 350,000 dollars for building a levee to impound the Bear River where it enters Great Salt Lake to keep the waters of Bear River from becoming impregnated with salt and to linsure' a plentiful 'sjupplys ,of fresh water for ducks. He described a trip he had made during the past year to Carsons' Sinks, a 100,000-acre reservation in Nevada, where \ie found large numbers of wild ducks, herons, ibises, white pelicans, avocets other birds living in freedom and safety. The organisation has obtained an option on, a large tract of land in this vicinity, he said, where they hope to establish! an antelope sanctuary. Dr. Pearson said- that the sustaining membership increased (from 716)18 to 7921. Bequests during the year totalled 58,931 dollars and fees of life members 19,000 dollars. The endowment fund exceeds 1,000,000 dollars.

Extension’ of bird conservation aetivites by the American society in collaboration with representatives of 17 other nations was described by Dr. Pearson, who attended the third meeting ot the International Committee for Bird Preservation held in Geneva last summer. While the International Committee was unable to agree on an international arrangement to stop the sale of game birds, he said, they passed a resolution asking the League of Nations Assembly to call an international convention to draw up a treaty restricting the spring shooting of wild ducks.

An important move in furthering bird conservation in Europe, Dr. Pearson added, was the appointment of J. M. Gersheit of Brussels as secretary of the International Committee to continue the work sponsored by the committee, which included 1 representatives from the United States, England, France, Belgium, Japan, Italy, Holland, Austria, Czehoslovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway and'Sweden.

Dr. Edward Howe Forbush of Boston, the Audubon field agent for New England and formerly state ornithologist for Massachusetts, said the laws for protection of wild creatures In Massachusetts are “about as good as we are likely to get, " but that they might be improved a little ‘ in respect •to lightening the number of game bags permitted and in regard to protection for birds on state lands. -'