The Audubon Society 137 make it possible to obtain legislative au- thority for the enactment and keeping of good bird laws, which are the backbone of protection. Again, there should be no sort of con- flict between ultra bird protectionists and legitimate scientific ornithology. That many of the best known ornithologists occupying public positions in the United States favor the restriction of egg-collect- ing, etc., is amply proved by a leaflet issued in May, by Witmer Stone,* called "Hints to Young Bird Students," and signed by such men as J. A Allen, Robert Ridgway, C. Hart Merriam, A. K Fisher, Wm. Brewster, F. M. Chapman, John H. Sage, C. W. Richmond, T. S. Palmer, and Wm. Dutcher. The Audubon Societies are responsible for meeting these liberal-minded and pro- gressive scientists half way. There must be anatomists and embryologists to study the human body, why not then, also, of the feathered brotherhood, oyily it is not necessary for mankind in general to keep skeletons of either birds or people in their closets for this purpose, and the random collecting of either should be regarded as equally reprehensible. I would see humanity and science allied in this matter. If the Audubon Societies confess that this is impossible, they are taking the responsibility of harnessing humanity with ignorance, — a horse that will drag any companion into the ditch. Let "For the Protection of Birds" be the banner motto under which the Au- dubon Society shall go out, as it is bound, to teach (not to preach) the 'bird in the bush,' but the teaching need be none the less humane, and will be far more effect- ual if, instead of ' dicky-bird ' platitudes of uncertain sex and species, it deals out good, sound, popular ornithology M. O W The So-called Sparrow War in Boston In the month of March, i8g8, a com" mittee organized by the American Society of Bird Restorers presented to the Mayor of Boston in person the following petition,
- See page 125 of this nuinber of Birij-Lork.
signed by a host of representative Bostonians : " To Hon. Josiali Qiiincy, ^A/ayo)- of Boston. " The undersigned petitioners hereby re- spectfully represent that the presence in Boston of hosts of the noxious imported Finch, known as the English Sparrow, has come to be a public nuisance, general expense and serious esthetic injury, im- peratively calling for prompt municipal abatement. " Your petitioners would, therefore, most earnestly request that, as the Chief Executive Officer of the city, you direct the immediate reducticm and suppression of this pest in such places (instancing the Common and, conditionally, the cemeteries of Boston) as may now be under, or may with this purpose in view be brought under, municipal control. " Under the law of iSgo, the Mayor pro- ceeded at once to take such measures as seemed advisable for clearing the Common, Public Garden, and city squares, of the Sparrow pest. The work was done under the general oversight of the Committee on the English Sparrow, of which Mr: Fletcher Osgood, manager and organizer of the Bird Restorers, was and is the chairman. Five men, with Foreman Kennedy, proceeded to clear English Sparrow nests from the Common, by removing them from orifices in the trees, from openings in the Sani- tary Building, and from electric hoods. The nest-boxes, put up years ago by misguided persons to accomodate the English Sparrow were all removed, and the Sanitary Building on the Public Garden was cleared. In the progress of this work, thousands of small orifices in the trees of the Com- mon (all known to exist) were cleared out and effectively closed with wooden stoppers, and much dead wood, inviting the breeding of the Sparrow, was re- moved. As a whole, great good in the way of arresting decay and generally improving the trees of the Common was done by Foreman Kennedy and his force, even if we leave out of account the checking of the breeding of the Sparrow. The work began on March 15, and ended April 5. During that period about 5,000
