Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-14
BIRDS, BUTCHERS, AND BEAU
TIES.
An Interview with = Dealer I'm Birds
Skins sud Feathers.

From the POH Ndft Gdsette.
''Nobody would guess" says a bird
dealer, SIN looking at these com Dinatiohs
that they are nothing but parts OF a lark's
body from the refuse OF poulterers
shop, and that the other parts OF the orna-
ment have grown on the back of a goose
or domestic fowl. We get feathers from
kitchens, and shops, and markets; they
are sold by the pound. and can be dyed
almost any color. The material Of these
oombinations-that is Co say, those Orna-
ments which IRE composed, not OF whole
birds or any single part Of birds quite
inexpensive. II is only the workmanship
the dyelng and arranging-whichm makes
them expensive. Thew are mostly made
NJ by women. A good &c al of this work
Is done in Germany; we have q large
warehouse at Berlin, where we employ
great many women. Some OF then are
female cOnvicJs in the prisons not far
from Berlin. Other English singing birds
ara hardly used at all Their plumage is
mostly lark, AID could not be dyed with
advantage.
.'Most Of our birds come from the East
and West Indies. We have over 100 dit
terent kinds of hummlrg- birds OF various
size and col0ring. These c0hOr are al
most Away much worn. They are rath-
er expensive, especially the sun-bird and
those in which the ruby and emerald coll
or is predominant. We sell them at a
price varying from TO 30 shillings per
dozen. Nearly every one OF these belongs
TO "a diifC rent species" " ith this null
t 5ude OF tiny birds was thrown on the ta-
bic, whose magnit cent coiOrlng had not
suffered by their long posGmOrtem VOy-
age. The throat Of one entered as pure
gold, rich purple adorned the wings vi
another, tiny coat rejecting all the col
ora Of the rainbow was worn by third
The wing feathers of the warrior bird
were horny, like Siegfrled's natural coat
of mail; the 'puf-legged' cOlibrPs legs
were hidden in d0wny white; while many
of the little creatures who lind their food
in deep, bell-shaped flowers were distin-
guished by beak twice the length OF
their tiny bodies. Box after box and
cnest after chest of birds of all cOlOrs
were brought out, in thousands OF
thousands. "A great favorita OF ladies
Is The Langara, the only bird which IL nat
uraly red" proceeded our guide through
The city catacom0s, pointing TO a case OF
ruby-oolOred birds. "All other red birds
Of this color are dyed. The japanese
pheasant IL also az present much used.
1t is, however, NOT killed on account OF It's
plumage, but as game, IKE our own
pheasant. The price OF Ep dish pleas
ants feathers varies greatly some years
ago we nave paid Is shliiings for pound,
at present we get them at l shilling aud 6
pence. From south Africa we get the
n6ries with the metallic shades; they are
inexpensive. The white Java sparrow,
which we sell at shillings each, is one OF
our most expensive small birds. And 1t
is so ugly. Yes, II is so ugly. W hte
birds are always expensive because they
are rare. We sell the white pigeon at tue
same price as the Java sparrow. IL Is
difficult TO say which are the favOrite
birds OF this season. All kinds have been
worn, but we have to please more bad
than good taste, as far as coloring lie con
cerned.
''The manner Of killing the birds varies
according TO size. They must not be shO'
or wounded, for that would spoil thel
! plumage. They are mostly netted; bu
! the very small ones arr killed by sand be
| ing blown at them by means of a tube
| Their bodies are then cleaned, stuffed
with cotton wool or tow, they are packed
/ In large boxes, and thus arrive here
where we get them at the monthly sale ii
MiuCinQ LAne,p