The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1886-06-10
BIRDS SLAUGHTERED.
Millions of American Singing Birds Sacr
feed to Fashion.

The destruction of birds in the United
States is awakening new and serious in
tercst among orni.hologists. A COM
miitec has been appointed by the Ameri-
can Ornitliolog;sts union TO gather in
formation bearing on the destruction
and protection of North American
birds.
A reporter called on Mr.. j. A. Allen,
one of the active members of the conf
mittee, in relation to the matter. The
gentleman WAS found at the museum Of
natural history in Central Park.
1--WE have protective bird laws" said
Mr. Allen, "and if they were properly
amended and enforced our birds would
be fairly protected As it is, their
slaughter continues to increase from
year to year, and unless it is immedi-
ately stopped inca!culabie injury to the
country will follow and many of the
species become extinct. There are those
who would make bird collectors for
museums in measure responsible for
the rapid decrease Of birds in this coun-
try. The charge is unfounded. l have
taken pains to gather data, and after
carefully examining the records of the
museums of the United States, l find
that they contain the skins of less than
200, 600 birds. This number is not a
twentieth of the birds killed in a single
season and sold to the hat trade. Our
museum of natural history in Central
Park contains but 1900 bird-skins, and
two-thirds of those were imported from
foreign countries. The total number on
= ,f
Washington is but $4,000. These 200,-
coo birds belonging to American science
represents the collection of many years,
while the vast numbers destroyed and
sold to the milliners are the result of a
single seasons slaughter. This whole
sale destruction of American song birds
began with the present fashion of wear
ING 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 slaughter
ell in this country for the sake of fash
ion amounts TO many millions, as we
have found by making careful estimates
bought and sold. The more beautiful
the bird the more eagerly it is sought
and the more money it will bring"
..What birds are most used by the
New York bird dea!ers?"
.:Our sweetest singers and most in
dustrious worm-oatchers! Among them
are the orioles, rcd birds. cedar-birts,
goldtinches. bluebir,ls. redstarts, vireos,
cherry birds, bluejays, ,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. egrcts, much
sought for on account of their long,
graceful plumes. and terms or sea-swal-
lows.
The destruction of these birds has
become regular and systematic busi-
ness. An experienced man, with two or
three tayidcrmists, will 90 along the
coast in the season and employ the ma
tives to kill birds. /. is surprising how
many birds one of these New York
agents, with a 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 ioducement of
ten cents apiece for all birds delivered
soon dcponulates the islands of their
| feathered inhabitants. The bird which
costs ten cents in the country sells for so
cents to 81 in the city. The cost is
trifling compared with the large profits
and vast extcat of the business. Hsrons
and egrets, which were so plentiful in
Florida a few years ago, have almost
disappeared.
IAN ordinary dealer in the country
will sell 10000 birds 10 his customers in
a single season. Many of the larger
! jobbers handle from $4,000 to 10000
birds year each. On Long Island and
in New Jersey an immense number Of
birds are killed every season. A single
neighborhood on Long Island will send
from 800 to 500 birds to market week.
We have already received most encour-
aging letters from New York ladies OF
wealth and power in the fashionable
world. We shall encourage the forma-
ton of bird protective associations and
anti-bird wearing leagues. A strong
public sentiment will spring up as soon
as the facts are once understood.
'.In England a powerful society has
been formed and is now at work against
the fashion of killing and wearing birds
for fashions sake. The nobility are
among its members, headed by such
men rs Tennyson and Robert Browning.
Lady Mount Temple has already estab-
lishcd an anti-bird-wearing league OF
her own, which is meeting with encour-
aging success. ~. y. Herald.