Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1886-04-15
BIRD SLAUGHTER.
MILLIONS OF sONGSTERs SAC
RIFICED TO FASHION.
Birds in Museums and on Ladies
Hats-Birds Most Sought, and
Whore CoIlected-The Meth
DDS OF the Dealers.

The destruction of brids in the United
States is awakening new and serious in
terest among ornithologists. A commit
tee has been appointed by the American
Ornithologists' Union to gather informa-
tion bearing On the destruction and pro
lection Of North American birds.
A Hera1 reporter called on Mr.. J. A.
Allen, one Of the active members Of the
committee, in relation to the matter. The
gentleman was found at the Museum Of
Natural History, in Central Park.
sWe have protective laws, = said Mr..
Allen, ''and if they were properly
amended and enforced our birds would
be fairly protected. As lis, their slaugh-
ter continues to increase from year to
year, and unless it is Immediately stopped
incalculable injury to the country will
follow and many Of the species become
extinct. There are those who would make
bird collectors for museums in a measure
responsible for the rapid decrease of birds
in this country. The charge is un-
founded. have taken pains to gasher
data, and after carefully examining the
records Of the museums of the United
States find that they contain the skins
of less than two hundred thousand birds.
This number is not twentieth Of the
birds killed in single season and sold
to the hat trade. These 5000 birds
belonging to American science represent
the collections Of many years, while the
vast numbers destroyed and sold to the
milliners are the result Of single sea-
sons slaughter. This wholesale destruc-
tion Of American song birds began with
the present fashion of wearing birds on
ladies hats and raiment 1t is true that
many of the birds sold in the trade are
imported, but they are fully balanced by
those we send abroad. The number Of
birds annually slaughtered in this coun-
try for the sake Of fashion amounts to
many millions, as we have found by
making careful estimates based on manu-
facturers' figures Of birds bought and
sold. The more beautiful the bird, the
more eagerly it is sought, and the more
money it will bring.n
ssWhat birds are most used by the New
| York bird dealers?"
tour sweetest singers and most in
dustrious worm catchers! Among them
are the orioles, redbirds, cedar birds,
goldfnches, bluebirds, redstarts, vireos,
cherry birds, blue jay, red winged black
birds, meadow larks, swallows, bobo-
links, sand pipers, golden winged wood
peckers, robins, shore larks, thrushes,
insect killing nighthawks, whip-poor-
wills, white herons, egrets, much sought
for on account of their long, graceful
plumes, and terms, or sea swallows.
s'The destruction Of these birds has
become a regular and systematic bust
ness. An experienced man, with two or
three taxidermists, will 60 along the
coast in the season and employ the natives
to kill birds. 1t is surprising how many
birds one Of these New York agents,
with few good taxidermists, can get in
few months. The islands along the
Atlantic coast are favorite breeding
grounds for birds. This the natives well
know. An inducement of ten cents
apiece for all birds delivered soon de-
populates the islands Of their feathered
inhabitants. The bird which costs ten
cents in the country sells for fifty cents
to a..dollar in the city. The cost is trifing
compared with the large profits and vast
extent of the business. Herons and
egrets, which were so plentiful in Florida
few years ago, have almost disappeared.
s'An ordinary dealer in the country
will sell 10, 900 birds to his city custom
ers in single season. Many Of the
larger jobbers handle from $4,000 to
40, 600 birds year each. On Long Is
land and in New Jersey an immense
number of birds are killed every season.
A single neighborhood on Long Island
viii send from 800 to 500 birds to
market week. A single village in the
back country ships from SO, OOOto so, 900
birds during summer. When the sea-
son is at its height from 5000 to 10, 600
birds are daily received by the New
York taxidermists A woman agent
down in the quiet State Of Maryland has
been known to collect so, 600 birds (many
of them the sweet singing Baltimore
orioles and ship them to Paris in a sea-
son. The islands along the seacoast
between Philadelphia and Fortress Mon
roe are Systematically robbed Of their
birds for the benefit of thoughtIess, fash
ionable women. Wings Of handsome
birds are quoted in the Baltimore papers
at from thirty cents to one dollar apiece,
and birds eggs at from five to eight
cents each. In Washington the daily
papers contain half column advertise
ments giving particulars Of beautifully
colored birds wings and breasts, which
are offered for sale by the dozen or gross.
s'We are going through the same ex-
periences that have long been complained
Of in England, where active measures
are now taken to save birds. Over there