Church & Dwight Co., Inc. has a long history of concern for all things natural. To help raise the awareness of the American public to our threatened wildlife, our company issued a series of Bird Cards. The first cards were printed 100 years ago bearing the legend, "For the Good of All, Do Not Destroy the Birds". The first series of cards featured animals, flowers, fish and birds, and were inserted into packages of ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda. These illustrations were the works of M. C. Eaton, G. Moss Arnholt and Hy Hintermeister. Although the originals are in our archives, we unfortunately have no information on the artists.

In the early 1920's Charles T. Church, Senior Officer of Church & Dwight Co., Inc. and an avid Conservationist, commissioned his friend, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, to paint a series of bird card illustrations. Fuertes painted 90 watercolors specifically to be made into bird cards.

In commemoration of the Bicentennial, Dwight C. Minton, C.E.O. of Church & Dwight Co., Inc. announced the bird card reintroduction with Fuertes' Birds of Prey series. Thirty birds of prey had been depicted including the Bald Eagle, and ten were made into cards available through Church & Dwight Co., Inc.

About the artist:

Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874-1927) Louis Agassiz Fuertes is considered by many to be one of the greatest bird painters of all time. From an early age, Fuertes was fascinated by birds and spent a lifetime painting in gouache, watercolors and oils. Whatever the medium, his goal was constantly the same: to create an artistic whole by painting the living birds as accurately as possible, subjugating the environment to the bird itself. The first series of cards featured animals, flowers, fish and birds, and were inserted into packages of ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda. These illustrations were the works of M. C. Eaton, G. Moss Arnholt and Hy Hintermeister. Although the originals are in our archives, we unfortunately have no information on the artists.

Fuertes painted many species of birds. His paintings for Church & Dwight Co., Inc. are some of his finest. The Church & Dwight collection of Fuertes Birds of Prey paintings is particularly valuable because it has remained in a vault, away from light for over 50 years; therefore, these watercolors have retained their original brilliant color. A comprehensive book on the life, writings and work of Fuertes was published in 1971 by Harper and Row. Entitled Louis Agassiz Fuertes and Singular Beauty of Birds (edited by Frederick George Marcham), the book spurred renewed interest in Fuertes, who is considered by many to be a better bird painter than the more famous Audubon.

About Birds of Prey: Birds of Prey are generally characterized by being carnivorous, feeding largely on other vertebrates. They are usually distinguished by their strong flight, sharp eyes and strong claws to clutch their prey - usually disease-spreading vermin and small, sick or wounded animals. There are two orders of prey: the Falconiformes and Stringiformes. Falconiformes include all birds of prey except owls. Stringiformes are the owls. Falconiformes are diurnal birds of prey, seeking their food during daylight hours and sleeping at night, as opposed to the usually nocturnal owls.

The Falconiformes are made up of five families: Cathartidae: Includes 6 species of New World vultures and buzzards, generally characterized by the carrion (dead animals) which they eat. Sagittariidae: A family of one - the African Secretary Bird. Pandionidae: A family of one - the fish-eating Osprey. Falconidae: Includes 58 species of falcons and caracaras, generally characterized by having long, pointed wings and longish tail for rapid flight. Among the falcons are the Prairie Falcon, Gyrfalcon, and the endangered Peregrine Falcon, which has been clocked at flying speeds of 70 mph and diving speeds of up to 100 mph. Accipitridae: The largest family found world-wide, these are typically raptorial birds, encompassing 205 species of hawks, eagles, harriers and Old World vultures. Includes the genus Accipter characterized by short wings, long legs and low darting flight. These hawks are often called "Bird Hawks". The Goshawk, Cooper's Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk are Accipters. The genus, Buteos, is also included -usually characterized by broad wings and tail and high soaring flight. Buteo hawks are generally rodent-eating, slow moving and less aggressive than the Accipiters. Examples are the Rough-legged, Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, and Broad-winged hawks. They generally inhabit fields, swamps and meadows. Eagles and Old World vultures are also contained in the genus Buteo. The birds of prey are a varied group. Some are Arctic birds, like the Snowy Owl and Rough-legged Hawk. Some are huge birds, like the Bald and Golden Eagles. Others are small, like the Short-eared Owl and Screech Owl. Some eat insects, while others eat rats, mice, reptiles, lemmings, frogs or birds. The diet of the Bald Eagle and Osprey is mainly fish. All birds of prey are vital to the ecological balance of nature and should be protected. Relatively few birds of prey in the continental United States actually appear on the endangered list. (The Southern Bald Eagle, the Florida Everglade Kite, the Peregrine Falcon and the California Condor are the only ones.) Nonetheless, a number of the birds are threatened, in at least portions of their range. Many of them are diminishing in number. Copyright 1999 ©Church & Dwight Co., Inc. .