The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-21

Dnce more the rage Tor ucCpEatlnS mats
with birds has taken posgcsglnn OF wo-
mankind. Every other woman met In
the strrets of New York has a bird press
cd against tho crown or pcrchcd on the
brlm Of her hat. The women who havn'i
such q dccoratlnon Use wings. niGrcttcs
or feathers Instead. Every bird lover
I hoped nnd sincerely believed that the
crusade against this custom several
years ago had sent Il out Of vogue Iurcv-
Gr. But here II Is again, and there Is
nothing FOR bird lovers TO do but to 80
10 work with renewed zeal and create a
sentiment against the SlaughierinE OF
myrlAlS OF Innocent SOnssiers.
1t II impossible to say who is rrspon.
sible for che revival or the bird and
feather fashion. Millinery buyers say
that Il began In Paris, und that London
and New York followed suit. one thing
Is certain. though. and thai IL that every
shop window In the city Killed. with hats,
bonuetS and iurbInS has bCh!nd the
glass an archaeological exhibit which
would DO credit TO a museum OF natural
history. Tender-heArtcd. sympathetic
woman coca INTO OBSTACLES over these eN-
hlbits and decides that she nusI own
bonnet with n bird on Il. She never
stops TO think Of the millions OF lives
that have been destroyed TO Eraufy her
vanity and thlt OF her sisters: nor does
she realize. It Is TO be hoped. that In
seven cases out OF ten the extinction OF
each life meant either the loss OF several
cGGs or the starving OF a number Of
iledgllnSS In the nest. But II Is 4 fact
that professional plltrnc hunters lind
their business more prOiitabl" In nesting
time than In Any other.
IavArg Of birds Lulvs that lll lvSr tho
world many varieties OF the finest birds
have already been GeCLmatcd and sUGe
have been eNtcruinRtcd by the demand
for their feathers. The woods and fields
are being stripped Of one OF their chief
attractions and the country deprived Of
Indispensable frIende Of agriculture ard
human comfort. In 1865. when the
fashion OF using birds as hat ornaments
was Al It's height, the American OTuIth-
olOEiStS' Union organized 4 committee IN
this city to protect bird lie Its primn-
ry objcc: was TO prevent the destruction
OF birds and TO collect facts and stats
tics bearing on the wholesale slaughter
that WIS then going on. Shortly after.
this the Audubon Society was formed
and worked in cooperation with the
OrnitholOEiSts' Union. Its purpose WAS
10 discourage the buying and wearing
for ornamental purposes OF the feathers
] VI atLS WIN bllAA anu ~ NAllt'I W ls' luAtltI
Ihe protection OF native birds Soon
thirty thousand people Joined the ranks
OF the Audubon Society and the 'OrnI-
biologists Union had members IN every
leading city throughout the country.
Then began a royal battle and woman's
heart vanqushed he vanity. The iniiu-
ence OF these two associations WIS such
that birds and feathers OF all kinds cx-
d, cept ostrich plumes. which are obtain
- -. ii. 4.
g drug on the market The Audubon
Society Thought thlht its mission had
been fulfilled. Il vas TO longer the
fashion TO perch flock OF swallows or I
tern on ones hat SO the society grldu-
ally diS0rGanized. The OrnithOlOE!S:s'
Union had other work to do than Inter-
ter!nE with the wearing OF birds. and to-
day 1t Is in iiOurishing condition, with
membership Of about six hundred 4
member OF the union. when asked IL any
action would be taken TO challenge the
revived fashion. said:
Yes. successful attempt Is being
made now to reorganize the Audubon
Society. which did such effective work
along this line several Years ago. and the
union always gives Its hearty cp-Opera-
ton TO all persons or societies whho may
BE- Interested In the protection OF birds.
Several Years ago when the fad OF wear
Ing birds and feathers on hats came into
vogue the tern or sea swallow and the
egret were more used than any other
species. Then the terms, beautiful
graceful birds. animated our coast. In
deed the seemed q part OF the shore Eu:
the women declared that they must have
thcH on their bOnnetS, and aS a RESULT,
: from Maryland TO Maine. there are nuyv
only two or thrcc colonies Of these birds
left, and they are On UniNhIhu"d lslcts.
One Is on Little Gull Island. at tn. cast
eern end Of Long Island. and contained
three years ago about 200 pairs OF .h.St.
birds. The mllliRcr5 agents got up m
expedition 10 SO there. and tn" birds
would probably have been eXtcrmluated
by this time II II had not been for the
efforts OF the Iinhlhhcn Society aud
several others which secured PERMITS
. sion from the government 70 have the
liGhtkecper on the island act as a game
Keeper. The societies raised money and
paid him salary, and through hIs pro-
lection the birds hahYe increased three
fold In two years, ana IN overflow colony
has been established On Gardeners Is
land. II this protection - continued
wherever the birds establish themselves.
we may have IN. terms back again
The outlook FOR tn" rc-etltghlishment
OF the snowy heron from which We get
the algrcttc Is not so eucoura Eng. TWEEN
~ years ago thrs. birds wcr,. abundant
in the south. Now they ar" The r4rrst
OF their family, Women seem to be
fOnder OF decorating, not only thcir hats.
but their hair also with aigrhttcS than
with anything else surely they wouldn't
have IN. heart 10 wear them If they
were enlightened ~ to how the feathers
are obtained. Twenty years ago Ir1v-
eller In Florida would zee these birds
resting In the MaRgrOva Islands on tn"
coast In ouch numbers that they looked
llnkc m white sheet or blanket OF SNOW
over the islands. Now they are 80 rare
there that II no longer pays 10 hunt
them. Professional plume hunters who
formerly had plenty TO do "A home now
go TO every part Of the world In search
or herdns. Ta"y Ert Up expeditions and
20 up the OrInOcO am the Ani2On. end
the birds have been rXtcrmlnatcd on the
coast Of Ucltln. People often say:
Well, what good arc hrT1ng, any way?
Why not kill them for the aigrrttcs:'
j m=y he replied that physician In W.
Catan told mo that there had been mn in
crease In human mortality since the
birds have been rXtermlnated anu that
this Is easy TO believe. since hcrdnS feed
on decaycd animal matter thrown Up by
the sea.
"Thc nigrcttc grows between thcshoul-
ders from the centre Of the back of tho
heron. and the average number TO = bird
IL from forty to iifty one variety Is
straight. another Curlnd. These mr." tho
wedding dress worn by both RCTcE dur
ing the nesting season. 81 that the logs
OF the old means the lOsE Of th" eggs
or more Frequently the starving Of IN"
young. They nest IN large colonies. The
professional plume hunters hide ihrm-
selves. and an IN" bird returns 10 the