The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-16
MR.. HOAR'S BIRD PETITION.
II RESULTED IN MhsSACHUsETT5'S
ANTI-FEATHER LIN.

Et was signed by Thirty-Rve Undounestieated
song Birds and Pleaded for the Use or Their
own Rentherr-The senator in n New Role
Police. t IL said. Will Enforce the Law.
BOSTON, July 15.-Thcro seems to DO no
longer any question as to whether tho law
prohibiting the wearing of song birds
feathers for ornaments in Massachusetts,
shall DO enforced, but the most interest
ing feature Of tho days news regarding
tho bill is tho coming to light Of the petition,
prepared by United States Senator George +.
Hoar, in connection with which the original bill
was drawn up. 1t was not published until to-day.
II IN one Of the most remarkable documents
ever placed among the musty files of any State
House. 1t ~purports to be signed by about thirty
Eve undomesticated song birds, and 10 light and
graceful and totally different from Senator
Hoar's usual Titanic thunderbolt style. Hero
Il is In full:
.To the Great and General Court or the Common
.ceaIfh Of Massachusetts,:
"we. the song birds Of Massachusetts, and
their playfellows, make this our humble petition.
We know moro about you than you think we do.
We know how good you arc. We have hoped
about the roofs and looked In at your windows
of the houses you have built for poor and sick
and hungry people and little lame and deaf and
blind children. We have built our nests in the
trees and sung many a song as we flew about
tho Har0onB anu parks yOu y oooutr-
full for your children, especially your poor chill
dren, to play in. Every year we fly a great way
over tho country, keeping all the time where
the sun Is bright and warm. And we know that
whenever you do anything the people all over
this great land between the seas and the great
lakes find IT, i out; and P pyS Ere soon Will try TO DO
"Wen arc Americans just the same as you are.
Some Of us, like some Of you; came across the
lived here q long while; and the birds like us
welcomed your fathers when they came here
have always done their best to please your
Now. we have q sad story to tell you. Thought
less or bad people are trying to destroy us. They
kill us because our feathers are beautiful. Even
pretty and swest girls; w be-, we O. should bso,S,r think Ink
children 30 that they may wear our plumsgo on
their hats. Sometimes people kill us for mere
steal our eggs and our young ones, People with
gums and snares lie in walt to kill us; as II the
Pl sSep 5o %i a S5Ta or %f n a not Sin ln t oase SKY ii a this R Oss ON On
much longer all our song birds Will DO gone; Al
used to be full Of birds they are now almost gone.
Even the nightingales are being killed In Italy;
,h %,H SDS w{1 h Snpa z! pray fsgm that 9s,sy you ssa wall 1ats stoG S all
have always made u 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
XIII us to get themi We want them all our
% ssIass; SSn P%Tss s are s tola t hrs RFSi IS ss s snSH tr
you TO do it as for a blackbird to whistle.
"If you will, we know how to pay you a hun
dred times over. We will teach your children
to keep themselves clean and neat. We will
love and to agree as we do in our nests; We
win build pretty houses which you will like
to see. We Will play about your garden and
flower beds-ourselves like flowers on wings
without any cost to you. We will destroy the
wicked insects and worms that spoil your cher
roses. We will give you our best songs;
and make the spring more beautiful and
the summer sweeter to you, Every June
morning when you go out into the field.
orfole and bluebfrd and blackmrd and bobolink
will fly after you and make the day moro de-
after s%qndown vesRsr sparrow will tell you how
porch after dark. ffshrd and hermit thrush
and wood thrush will sing to you, and even
whippoorwin will cheer you up q. little: We
know where we arc safe. In a little while all
again, and everybody who loves music viii like
to make a summer home with you"
g The signers are:
Brown thrasher, Kinebird.
Robert o. Lincoln, Swallow,
Hermit thrush Cedarbtrd,
Vesper sparrow. Cowbird,
Robin redbreast, Martin,
Song sparrow. Neery,
Scarlet tanager, vtreo,
Summer redbird, Oriole,
Blue heron. Biackbird,
Hummingbird, F1febird,
Yelowbird, Wren.
Whip poor-wfll, Linnet,
Water wagtaii. Peewee,
woodpeckcr, Phoebe,
Pigeon woodpecker. Yokebird,
Indigo bird, Lark,
Yellow throat. tsandpiper.
Wilson's thrush, rewtnk.