The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-07-13
FASHIONS CRUELTY.
Greedy Hunters Who Stay Birds by tbs
Thousand to Satisfy Vain Women.

/ Thousand to Satisfy Vain Women.
'Where do all the birds that the
ladies wear nowadays come fromP"
was asked of a taxidermist of the West
Side.
Most of the birds used in the trade
by milliners come from New Jersey,
but good many also come from Long
Island and some are received from the
West and South, but a few are inn
ported"
''Where do all the fancy birds that
look like the winged inhabitants of q
tropical zone come frOm?"
THAT involves a trick of the trade.
Nearly all these birds come from New
Jersey and the State of New York.
Let me illustrate. A blackbird is
taken, the bill is cut and in its place a
snipe's bill is inserted and by combin-
ing parts of the skins of other common
birds a monstrOsity is produced. But
If the cOlors are well matched the re-
suit is attractive to the eve. And it
may even surprise one who knows all
about the appearance of birds. If you
-
dows of the fashionable stores you will
find sometimes half a dozen birds
heads projecting from one mass of
feathers that might be the breast of a
swan or turkey. Many of the wings
that adorn hats bear no possible re-
semblance TO wings. The whole bust
ness Is matter of taste In mounting
a bird for hat certain portions of the
skin are cut away, but by no means
thrown away. All the offal is used up
for wings by gluing the pieces on
model"
How are the birds caught Are
they shot?'
''Oh, man, no; no shot is found in
fiaying the birds that are bought of
regular customers. The hunters keep
their mode of catching the birds a
secret, because they are afraid of the
interference of the Society of the Pre-
vention of Cruelty To Animals. We
have man who brings us over a
thousand birds n week during the
warm weather. He lives in New Jer-
sey, and has partner, but no other
help. One would think the woods
would be depOpulated. yet the supply
is Kept up from year to year. The man
ought to be rich enough to retire from
the business"
How much do You pay for the
birds?"
THE prices vary according to the
demand. and the demand is controlled |
10 large extent by the prevailing
fashions. Last year the milliners called |
for red wings and yellow
birds, for which we paid from twenty
five 10 thirty-tive cents apiece. At the |
rush of the season the price for that |
kind of birds ran up TO forty-five and |
hfty cents apiece for a lot. Al other |
Times we could get all we wanted from
eight to twenty cents each. It's really |
that the supply does not
give out. in spite of all the slaughter
ing of the birds -
''What kind of birds are brought
into the markell"
"All sorts. and very often quite
common birds, orioles, red winged
Snipes, thru>heS, yellow
birds, reed birds, sparrOws. turtle
doves and knocking birds. almost any
small birds can be used. The wings of
the spsrrows are dyed red. yellow,
green and even blue, and the little
Gathered inhabitant of the northern
zone is transformed into a magnificent
ropical bird. How long will the
ashton of wearing birds last? 1t is
lanl 10 tell. perhaps ten. fifteen years.
or the freaks of fashion arc variable.
\. \. Cor. Chicago Journal. |