Evening star., 1898-11-16
"Friends of the Birds ?.


In the notice of tie meeting here of the
orhlthologlsts, presumably in the interes; s
oI SCIENCE, 1t is announced that they will
e"h'iuer means for stopping the terrible
slaughter of birds for use on wopen,s
hats"
That there is and long has been a terrible
slaughter of the innocents for use nv
thoughtless women no one will deny. Rut
that has not been the only means of de-
s'ruction. te hundreds of thousands more
| have been killed by these same soc.IGa6
scientists. or their paid agents from mo-
tlves almost equally puerile Indeed.
among the number of names announced as
belonging to the friends of lsrds'' are sew
eral pertaining to gentlemeI who have
like the ancient worthy of biblical times
slain their thousands and tens of thou
sands! l can recall two at least who are
indirectly guilty of this offense One who
has sent hired murderers to almost ayerv
island of the West Indies where thew have
all but exterminated not only the rare
and finely plumaged birds, but the sweet
songsters as well, the mocking birds SC
as well as the beautiful hummine birds
They have committed ofTenses against A..
clety in those islands which in any more
civilized communities would be punished
with imprisonment CT expulsion.
Another gentleman, also ranking high in
pathological circles, had a dspute manv
years ago as to the specific differences Of
two of our most attractive terms or sea
swallows Chose graceful sea birds which
used to form such a delightful feature of
some OF our seaside reSortS). Well he and
his disputant took their guns and went to
an island where those terms lived during
the summer months. ard shot scores Il
believe hundreds) merely to satisfy their
contention,
This is but one instance tending to the
causes that have operated toward the. ex-
tinction of our birds. Almost any one can
get a certificate from some ignorant "se-
ing that he is collecting birds, eggs and
rests for scientific purposes" and under
this protection he can quite extermipate
the feathered inhabitants of anv locality
If you will read the "ornitho.og .ogical maya
zines you will find them filed from front
page to last, with advertisements of eggs
and skins at prices ranging from few
cents to dollars. These scientific collect
ors'' masquerading under the same pre-
tense Of working in the interests of sci
ence!
Their motives may originally be the same
as those of their more distinguished fellow
the birds of our country. But it is not long
before they degenerate into collectors,
simple and v'llgaar, whose only purpose is
and exposed is tfhe fman who, from nride
in his collection desiring to possess The
largest, the finest, or the most comnlete In
rare birds.engases t8en and boys to Shoot
not reach. 1 nate III mind a taxidernist
In eastern MASSACHUSETTS who has for
many years pursued his nefarious calling
unmolested under the protection of a
license to shoot an the interests Of science
He has killed all theslovely birds, such as
Baltimore orioles, cedar birds. even h1ue
birds and robins; IN that locality for miles
around. And the worst Of it is. he makes,
or made, no pfetense of doing anything
but a business ire theitrade of their skins.
Well may the Innocent feathered yisitants
here pray to tbe delivered from their
'friends" Let the spseudo ornitholoeists
but stay their Hands, as well as strive to
enact laws against the ignorant natives Of
other lands who commit a crime against
civilization for which these more enlighten-
ed men have no excuse. In the pursuit of a
livelihood. Let them desist from their
slaughterings and turn their attention 10
ornithotamy simply, and restrict their in
vestigations to the English sparrow! Then,
perhaps, they will have made some amends
for the evil they have done.
November Is, 1888. ORNITHO.