The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-05-18
\ Plea for the Birds.
DAyroSA, FLA, Nav IL, iss

'hii'Nhr ~ i''O'
Special Correspondence rslatka SrNs
The ladies' in many parts Of the coun.
try are forming Audubon Societies for
tho purpose Of protecting the birds from
the indiscriminate and wanton slaush-
ter, for tho purposes of ornamentatiOn.
a society at Des Moines, Ia. resolved
recently: THAT hereafter we will alb
stain from buying any plumage, where
the life Of the bird il sacrificed to obtain
the ornament" This is laudabc, and a
step in the right direction, and some.
thing Of the kind is necessary 10 prevent
our forest and shore birds from becOm.
ing extinct.
The fashion Of wearing the plumage VI
birds and the skins Of small animals for
the purpose d adornmen,, is "rclic Of
barbarian and comes down to us from a
barbaric age and "A barbarous people, and
the savage red man, in his war paint
and feathers, is the fitting prototype oi
those who today follow this heartless
fashion.
Some Of the details Of this slaughter
Of the innocents' at the shrine Of fash.
ion, are startling in their magnitude. At
Cape Cod no less than 10000 terms are
destroyed in one season to supply the
demand Of the milirer. The demand
for egret and heron is increasing, and
our own Florida &C lsts and forests are
being invaded, aud our song birds a. well
us our birds Of beautiful plumasc, are
being sacrificed to this same Moloch Of a
brutal fashion. New York mlIliners
send out their orders for lots of 10000
skins of birds; sometimes the order be-
ing for only one kind of bird. An en-
terprsing woman at Cobb's Island. Va,
recently filled a contract with Paris
miliner for 10000 skins Of birds, en-.
bracing gulls, sea swallows, terms. egrets,
etc, at forty cents each.
Mountain, vale and stream, rs well as
coast lines, are being hunted for birds Of
all size and colors. Blue birds, robins,
wrens, woodpeckers, humming birds,
thrush, etc. etc. are destroyed without
mercy. and their skins BY the ten thous-
ands, find their way 10 the shops and to
tho head dress Of women.
Is it not time that something BE- done
to protect this innocent life, and to pre-.
vent cur forests from becoming dcpop.
ulated and our song birds exterminatpd.
and all forms Of feathered life driven
from our coasts. But legislation viii
avail but little 50 long rs the Demand
continues from its present source. So
long rs woman and fashion demand this
wanton butchery, the immolation Of in.
nocence and beauty at this bloody shrine
will continue.
1t is gratifying to learn that some Of
our ladies' are turning their attention to
the matter. In England the Queen is
moving and trying to bring about A re-
form. Let the women Of America take
hold and make the movement general
Woman alenc is resp nnsible for this cruel
fashion. Every wing and form Of bird
upon her gaudy headdress represents The
sacrifice Of happy, joyous life, which
has been DESTROYED for the sake Of a vain
adornment. viii not the women OF
America, whose nature is full of COM
passion and tenderness, aid in putting an
end to this terrible holocaust. or shall we
changing one word of well known pas.
sage of scripture. wrtc-"The tender
mercies Of the women ate cruel:'
tSIoNAl.