The record-union., 1897-07-06


amongst us may result in your be-
coming citizens of our State.
BIRDS PETITION.
Instrumental in the Passage or
Massachusetts, Law.
The petition which was instrumental
in getting the Massachusetts law pro
hibiting the wearing Of song and IN
sectivorous birds on Women's hats is
said to have been written by Senator
Hoar. The petition read as follows:
To the Great and General Court of
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:
We. the song birds of Massachusetts
and their play-felloWs, make TINS our
humble petition We know more about
you than you think we do. we know
how good you are. We have hopped
about the roofs and looked in at your
windows of the houses you have putt
for poor and sick and hungry people,
and little lame and deaf and pima
children. We have built our nests IN
the trees and sung many song as we
flew about the gardens and parks you
have made so beautiful for your chill
dren, especially your poor children, TO
play in. Every year we fly a great
way over the country, keeping all the
time where the sun is bright and
warm And we know that whenever
you do anything the other people all
over this great land between the seas
and the great lakes find it out, and
pretty soon will try to do the same.
We know. We know.
We are Americans just the same as
you are. Some of us, like some of you,
came across the great sea- But most
of the birds like us have lived here a
long while; and the birds like us well
coined your fathers when they came
here many, many years ago. Our ia
theirs and mothers have always done
their best to please your fathers and
mothers.
Now we have a sad story to tell you.
Thoughtless or bad people are trying
to destroy us. They kill US because
our feathers are beautiful. Even pret-
ty and sweet girls, who we should
think would be our best friends, kill
our brothers and children so that they
may wear our plumage on their hats.
Sometimes people kill us for mere wan
tOuutSS. 1fuGl DOyS Q6SlIOy Jul ICSlo
and steal our eggs and our young ones.
People with guns and snares lie in wait
to kill us; as if the place for a bird
were not in the sky, alive, but in a
shop window or in a glass case. If
this goes on much longer all our song
birds will be gone. Already we are
told in some other countries that used
to be full of birds, they are now almost
gone Even the nightingales are being
killed in Italy.
Now, we humbly pray that you will
stop all this and will save us from this
sad fate. You have already made a
law that no one shall kill a harmless
song bird or destroy our nests or our
eggs. Will you please make another
one that no one shall wear our feath-
ers, so that no one shall kill US to get
them? We want them all ourselves.
Your pretty girls are pretty enough
without them. We are told that it is
as easy for you to do it as it is for a
blackbird to whistle.
If you will, we know how to pay you
hundred times over. We will teach
your children to keep themselves clean
and neat. We will show them how to
live together in peace and love as we
do in our nests We will build pretty
houses which you will like to see. We
will play about your garden and flow
er-beds-ourselves like flowers on
wings without any cost to you. We
will destroy the wicked insects and
worms that spoil your cherries and
currants and plums and apples and
roses. We will give you our best songs
nd lya IA
and the summer sweeter to you. Every
June morning when you go out into the
field, orioe and bluebird and blackbird
and bobolink will fly after you and
make the day more delightful to you.
And when you go home tired after sun
down vesper sparrows will tell you
how grateful we are. When you sit
down on your porch after dark, fife
bird and hermit thrush and wood
thrush viii sing to you; and even whip
poorwill will cheer you up a little We
know where we are safe. In a little
while all the birds will come to live in
Massachusetts, again, and everybody
who loves music will like to make a
summer home with you
The signers are: Brown Thrasher.
Robert o'Lincoln, Hermit Thrush. Ves-
per Sparrow, Robin Red Breast. Song
Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, Summer Red
Bird, Blue Heron, Humming Bird. yell
low Bird, Whip-poor- will, Water Wag-
tail, Woodpecker, Pigeon Woodpecker.
Indigo Bird, Yellow Throat, Wilson'S
Thrush, Chickadee. King Bird Swal-
low, Cedar Bird, Cow Bird. Martin.
Veery, Vireo, Oriole, Black Bird. Fife
Bird, Wren, Linnet, Pee Wee, Phoebe
Yoke Bird, Lark, Sandpiper, Chewink.
Up to His Looks,
One of the many Private Secretaries
ct