The Press., 1885-03-19
TgE SLAUGHTER OF SONG BIRDS.

Tho soI.g birds of New Jersey, especial | ly in Camden, Salem, Cumberland, Cape ! May, and Atlantic counties are slaughter ed in such number by hordes of pot-hunt- CTS, who kill them for the sake of their skins, which they sell to parties in New York for trimming ladies' bonnets, that it is stated that an effort will be made by parties interested in their protection to have bill passed through the legislature making it 8 mIsdemeanor to kill or cap- ture any song birds for the space of sev- eral years. If such an act is not passed in short time, there will be no song birds left in West Jersey. The pot-hunt- CTS use all kinds of devices to capture the birds. One of the most effective ways, which does not in any way destroy the beauty of the plumage, is the placing of bird lime on the limbs of trees where they are in the habit of roasting. The sticky stuff, adhering to the birds feet, makes them fall an easy prey to the hunter. 1 When birds are shot, the skin Is perfor- ated This detracts from their market value, and shot is used when the hunters are hard pressed to fill orders, and when the lime aud net devices fail to furnish the supply.
 One of the oldest taxidermists in Cam den said It gently elf the legislature does not soon pass an act prohibiting the wholesale slaughter of birds, there will be none left in New Jersey. Only few days ago I received an order from New York firm for 10000 skins. It specified that the birds were to be of the following va rieties: Meadow larks, bluejays, fiickers, redbirds, robins, thrushes, bluebirds, black birds, thrashers, woodpeckers (six kinds) and tanagers, beautiful red-plumed birds with iet-black wings. This bird is much sought after, but is now very scarce in New Jersey. The price which the firm offered to pay was $15 hundred skins, dressed, which means that the entrails of the birds are taken out and the cavity filled with cotton. The skins of the birds are prepared for trimming purposes. I re- fused to supply the order and sent word to the firm to that effect.
 'Millions of song birds in New Jersey have been killed during the past four or five years to supply the New York mar kets, and the beach birds on the coasts of Atlantic and Cape May counties are ruth lessly slaughtered by thousands. As only the wings and heads are in demand, these parts are cut off and the body thrown away. The retail prices of birds wings, when ready for trimming, range from twenty-five cents up to several dollars. Skins of New Jersey birds are also ex- changed by the New York dealers with southern dealers for birds of their cline. If the ladies must and will have birds to decorate their hats with, why not kill the English sparrow, which is becoming such a nuisance everywhere? Their skins could be dyed to initiate the natural plumage of other birds and made especially attractive in appearance. But no; the ladies must have the natural plumaged birds, for which they pay a high price, or they are not satisfied"
 'Do you think the order for the 10000 birds was filled ?'
 "Yes. They are scores of men in the state who would jump at it and fill it in short order, but they are not taxidermists, and they are the men the law ought to af- feet. They employ all the pot-hunters they can get hold of, who kill both male aud female birds indiscriminately, throwing most of the latter away, as their plumage is not regarded of much value. The only way ill which to stop this business is to impose fine of $50 on every person found killing the birds except for scientific pur- poses. "-Phila. 7'jnes