The sun., 1889-12-01
TIE BIRDS ON THE EATS.
Deeds or the Women OF the Period and or
the Audubon Society.

Deeds or the Women OF the PERIOD and or
the Audubon Society.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: One OF
your esteemed contemporaries had an article
recently on Bird PlumaGe on Women's Heads"
which is 80 misleading. and SO favorable TO the
interests of the feather dealers, that II It had
been dictated by one OF those gentlemen 1t
could hardly have been more 30.
Dead birds mean dollars to the feather deal
or. and he would stifie the gush OF song In tho
throat OF the bobolink with as little compunc-
tion as he would crush a mosquito. It Is not
TO be supposed that these mon are going to
volunteer any information that will injure their
trade; on the contrary, it is their part to sup
press all unpleasant facts. and to soothe and
put to sleep the conscientious scruples Of
women on the subject Of dead bird millinery.
With your kind permission will mention q
few facts for the benefit Of your readers, which
will rather disprove some previous statements.
To affirm that the domestic canary is never
used for millinery purposes is untrue. The
writer saw hat only q short time since with
five canaries upon It. arranged In such fan.
tastic attitudes as to suggest the idea that tho
wearer was q At subject for the lunatic asy-
lum. Either we must believe what the feather
dealers tell us. aud dlstrust the evidence Of
our own senses, or we must believe what tho
leading ornithologists Of the country tell US,
and for my part prefer to bolieve the latter.
In 1886 the rage for dead bird millinery had
reached a climax. and the ornithologists pub
lished q report showing the appalling destruo-
tion OF our song birds to satisfy the demands
OF a barbarous and demo ralizing fashion. The
report says: From carefully gathered stats.
tics 1t is proved that Oh the most moderate cal.
culation 100000 song birds are annually re-
quired to 6ll the demand for the ornaments.
Of fha hafu oG Thn
slaughter is not confined to song birds; every-
thing that wears feathers is o target for tho
bird butcher. In single season 10000 terms
were killed at Cape God for sxportntlon and
depopaated Of their egrets and hsrons, In
one month q mill. n bObolinks have been kill
fd ynRe ana sDFH
in n short time to New York dealers for mill
report. but enough to show what the slaughter
has been; and il song birds are not used so
the restraining influence Of the Audubon So
eiety This society is an outgrowth OF the
Bd the @snsps o.
day in every State in the Union and in Canada.
Probably If the wearerS OF the plumes OF the
are obtained there would be less demand for 4
them, and as women rs often sin In this matter
want OF heart, 1t is only right they should know.
A correspondent of tho AuduGOn Magazine tse0
July number; N,; 1887 1857 writes from Pinecastle.
Through my meanderings watched closely
for birds and deer saw but few hundred
buggies and wagons loaded with bird plumes.
when they are rearing their young On passing
the rookeries where the hunters had been
starving STA Young birds 'weie 'pitTIui 10 hear.
Some were inst edgsd While hot others rS were 50
innyitAhlV StArya death.
Di5tful screams Of the dying little birds" h
wearers Of these plumes going to church and
PRAYING, From hardness OF heart good Lord.
think your esteemed contemporary has got
rather mixed up In his ornith9logy when ne
Does so mucP injury to the crops in the South.
SO that its destructton Is rather a benefit than
Bg Ge he ef
torn up. and the different parts distributed up
on hats. would he quite in accordance with tho
is an insult e the taste ana feeling d = Slvii:
lied, people, On one hat is breast without
with With glass s; eyes ST atares % out from between Two
legs or the bird is smashed nat. as II Killed
in its ding agonies than any pose 1t could pos
slbly assume In life. Still the outlook 10 not SO
as Il msht tb De- h9d ps0Pe rHS S5
laws to protect birds other than those for food.
| read. 10 the Savannah NeoS OF a recent
the hunter who inds ready market for the
plumage. as the snow-whlle feathers are popu-
lar with the women OF fashion. PlurpaRe deal'
eTs in New York have hunters regularly nI,1y en-; j
along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts OF the
and all through the almost I'm
lagoons and bayous OF the EveI-
birds OF plumage and song ali through the
winter. And his fact has led to the agitation
be passed 10 punis by fines and penalties
who Al Q convicted OF shooting, any birds OK
,epting those which are edible"
or course. the pronEs OF the milliners and
eather dealers would be materially dimin-
shed by he passing and enforcement OF such
avs. But they have fattened and grown sleek
IN years OF ill-gotten gains
lit 10 starving would be blessing to them.
Lot us hops Providence will not forget them.
BRooKLYN. N. Y. Nov. 22, 1852 Il. 4.