Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-03
BIRD LIFE AND MILLINERY.

Organization Is now being ef1ecteQ IN the
East against the wanton destruction of
birds. The demand for birds for ladies'
hats has alarmed the naturalists both here
and in England, and they have perfected
society organizations to put a stop to the
destruction of bird life This is not
grounded in sentiment alone, but in the
fact that most birds are greatly useful to
agriculturists and florists as destroyers of
insect pests, and many atmospheric pests
invisible to ordinary vision. 1t is re-
ported that 10000 gulls and terms we're
slaughtered along the sandy shores Of Cape
Cod last year alone-all for millinery pur-
pores On the Virginia coast, near Cobb's
Island, one contractor took 10000 skins of
terms. Says Forest and Stream, one dealer
in three months last year took II ,018 bird
skins, and the same man admits that he
kills as many as 10000 birds per year for
their plumage alone. Bird killers on
Long Island in four months in 1885 sup
piled New York with 10000 bird skins
In Texas a demand was received lately for
the plumes of 10000 white egrets, and
larger demands than that for herons
p!umes are annually made upon sports
men. Ii is said that thousands of pairs Of
egrets were blotted out of existence on
Southern shores last year, and that very
soon the bird will become extinct As to
lesser birds, they are killed by the million
for their heads wings and tail feathers.
All those sought are of the useful va
rieties. 4 witness tells of the birds
worn on the hats and robes of
eleven women he met recently in
a New York street car. The list
showed heads and wings of three starlings,
two foreign birds, seven warblers Of three
species, large tern, heads and wings of
three shore-larks, wings of seven shore
larks and grass-finches, half of gullinule,
a small tern, turtle-dove a vireo, and
yellow-breasted chat English statistics
show that there were sold in one auction
store in London, during the four months
ending April, 1885, 4O4, AGA West Indian
and Brazilian bird-skins, and $50, 3S9 East
Indian, besides thousands of Impeyan
pheasants and birds-of-paradise. Black
birds, cat-birds, meadow-larks, orioles,
gulls, cedar-birds, and a vast list of useful
birds are becoming rare from the simple
fact that fashion demands their lives.
The Audubon Society has been formed at
the East to stay the work of destruction
in England, the Queen has issued society
a command it will respect, to cease wear
ing bird plumage on hats and robes;
society in London is active in resisting the
work Of the bird hunters the American
Ornithologists' Union has taken action in
the matter; the Selborne Society of Eng
land has issued its edict, and has such sup
porters as Tennyson, Robert Browning, Sir
Frederick Leighton and Rev. DR.. Morris |
Forest and Stream, sporting journal, has |
taken up the cudgels for the BIRDS and |!
sporting papers generally oppose the ruth
less killing of songsters and fine plumage
birds. 1t is to be hoped that the good
work will go on, and fashion for once be |
checked in its folly The women of the |
land have it wholly in their power to put
a stop to the destruction of bird-life for
millinery purposes-but the question is,
will they with all their humanity and |
delicacy and gentleness, prove equal to the
task? Or Will they yield to fashions
reckless rule and bid the destroyers go on
with their work?