The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-06-20
WantOn Slaughter of the limo
cents.


all open window, | noticed rose bush
in the yard covered by English spar
rows. The active and pugnacious little
mauraders were so industriousy en-
gagged evidently over some sweet moi
sci u insect food about the bush, that
my curiosity was excited 10 know what
food they found SO tempting.
watched them for some time, as each
bird finished leaf after leaf, seemingly
unsatlshed with his evening meal, until
my patience being exhausted fright
ened the flock away. Examining the
bush | found they had been feeding
upon the slugs; of which enemy of the
roses they had in few moments prac-
tically cleaned it. Like many others l
have been preiudlced against the Eng
lish sparrow, but il his insectlvorous char
acter be established instead OF being
mathematical and slaughtered, it
should be cherished and preserved.
Kindred to this subject l hope you will
find space TO republish the following
enclosed letter witch | recently read in
the Philadelphia Ledger, and the senti-
ments of which think every woman
should share. NJ.
AN APPEAL TO WOMEN.
Some years ago, at a ball in Paris,
there appeared woman wearing on
her head small dead bird. She de-
sired to distinguished herself by new
kind of adornment, not caring how it
was procured. Why are so many
Christian women following her example
to-day2
Henry Ward Beecher said: "The
slaughter of the birds that is going on
is such as ought to arrest the attention
of every Christian woman who deco
rates herself with the skins" Can the
compassionate spirit of Christ have
touched the hearts of those women
who 60 constantly to hear His doctrine
preached, yet refuse to make so small
an effort to be in accord with it as the
simple avoidance of participation in
this heartless and destructive fashion
would involve2
The report of the American Orni
biological Society says: "From care
fully gathered statistics it is proved
that on the most moderate circulation
100000 song birds are annually re-
CURED to fill the demand for the orna-
mentation of the hats of American
women. The slaughter is not confined
to song birds, everything that wears
feathers is target for the bird butcher. |
In single season 10000 terms were
killed at Cape Cod for expectation, and
the swamps and marshes of Florida
have been depopuIated of their egret.
and herons. In one month 1000, 900 |
bobolinks have been killed near Pnila-
delphia, and from single Long Island
village 10000 song birds were supplied |
in short time to New York dealers
for millinery purposes. In somt
places, when wings only are sought
the hunters, grown brutal by the prac-
tce OF their horrid trade, shoot the
birds down and tear off the wings OF
numbers while they are yet alive.
1t is known that the bird hunters OF
Florida kill the birds while they are
rearing their young-because of the
greater beauty of the plumage at that
season-and leave the little ones to |
starve to death. One who went through |
the hunting grounds. speaks of the
horror it gave him to hear the pitifuI
screams OF these dying little birds.
Why does all this slaughter 60 on ?
In order that woman may decorate
themselves and win admiration. But
suppose they do not win admiration1
Many people look upon this cruel and
frivolous fashion with unmixed horror,
and upon the women who continue 1t
with deep if silent, disapproval. Now
that so much is known concerning thu,
kind of adornment the woman who
adopts it must expect to win something
which is very far from admIratlon.
Mrs. Olive Thorne Miller says: "The
beautiful warblers fitting necessarily
about the trees are working almost
every instant in our interest, yet We,
some of US, wear their little dead
bodies in clusters and wreaths, and the
insects increase and multiply apacr.
The rose breasted grosbeak works more
industrlously than any bod carrier, and
never strikes for shorter hours, and
what is he doing1 Carefully examining
the potato plants and picking off that
pest, the potato beetle. Unfortunately,
more unfortunately for US than for him,
he has beautiful coat; he is wanted
to adorn somebody's hat; his life of
usefulness is cut short, and the bugs
have free sweep with the potatoes"
Again she says: "Pages have been
written and published about the desc
lation of the former bird haunted
spots; every trave Her who observes,
every collector who goes out to secure
the last lingering individual, reports the
fearful slaughter, the alarming decrease
of birds and the terrific and unchcck
able increase of their prey, the insec',
which shall yet devour the world and
the inhabitants thereof"