The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-06-19
BIRDS AND A1eRErs.

A Correspondent Takes ISHus with Those
In the Movement for Preserving BIrdS.
To tho Editor Of the Intelligencer.
SIR:-The aiaret or white crane bird.
lives in marshes and swamp lands and
feeds upon small FISH, frogs and worms.
II Is a worthless bird. except for its
months OF March and April. II this
bird escapes the hunters shots. when
IN full bloom Il loses or sheds the al :.
grets, which are lost in the marshes
or ponds and the bird Is bare Of its
plumnge for nearly ten months. Hunt
ers all know that II the crane Is not full
pIumaEed, II Is not worth the powder 10
shoot it.and is only killed In the months
mentioned.
This country docs not produce frac-
ton Of the aiErets that are imported
Besides. the south has had stringent
laws against the killing OF these birds
for the last ten years.
The society against the wearing Of
bird nrnamentailon has been In exist
ence q number of years, and stiil the
members do not scruple when It comes
to wings and Quills, also parts OF the
bird
There is no ban against ostrich feath-
crs, and yet the plucklng OF the feath-
ers from the live bird is much more
cruel.
Why will the ladies who oppose the
use OF bird and bird plumaEe. wear the
Astrakhan fur. when the mother must
first he killed TO get the unborn lamb;
or mink capes, collars and sacqucs; or
Kid qlnves from the unborn animal or
the young fawn?
Il Is worth considering In these days
,frtt ont Ia
dustry. created by the vaghrics Of fash
lon. would he destroyed by a strict ad-
herenc,, to the edicts OF this society, and
this would mean that thousands Of wo-
men would be thrown out OF an employ
mcnt that pays large wages, because
skilled labor Is needed In the prcpara-
ton and the marketing OF the various
articles.
The claim that large percentage OF
wild birds % the songster variety and
high-colUred birds are killed every year
to supply the demands OF the trade IL
largely exaggerated. The facts are that
the trade birds are mostly pigeons, tur-
keys and chickens and In a majority OF
cases only the wings or tail feathers
are used for ornamentntion
Fashion regulates the demand for
birds and bird plumage aud what was
the fad few years ago In the bird
line. ~ dead now. For Instance. there
has not been any demand FOR hummcrs
In years. 10 gulls OF any kind 4 few
years ago the crane and thc heron
feathers were hardly worth the labor
OF pluciting and the indications now arc
that these birds win be rclegatcd by
Dame Fashion, and some old fad re-
suscltatcd Fashion is the active force
that viii abolish the Bigrct before any
humanitarian society can get the ladies
to think their way
Parrots have been used In very large
quantities for a number OF years now.
and one would think that the supply
must give out Not 20, however, as the
same sections furnish larger quantities
every year These come from the
hcathcn, yet these simple nntivcr know
how TO propagate and preserve the pnr-
rots and parroqucttcs when to do SO
turns the shckcls their way. The
wasteful slaughter Of birds and fur
bearing animals could be stopped. nnd
IN much more practical way, by =
rigid enforcement of the game laws. the
proper cNtcnsion OF the same aud by tho
cooperation u the merchants and
those directly Interested In the qucs-
ton go