The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-10

starve, and in other eases the birds are
skinned while yet alive as this is said to
preserve the brillancy Of the plumage.
When one considers that such practices
have not even rs good defence a. that Of
the vivisectiouist-that their object is
merely to cater to the inartstic tastes of
fashionable women-they seem not much
more civilized than an Indian sun-dance.
The stiffened figure of a bird, stuck in an
unnatural position upon woman hat, Is
not more beautiful or becoming than a
scalp on an Indians war bonnet. Both
have a certain barbaric picturesqueness-
When this fashion has become thing OF
the past. and the hats of today are pre-
served in museums. future generations may
look at them with sort OF shuddering Gu
riosity and fascination. It is to be hoped
So at any rate.
But there is another factor in this sit
uation. which is Of an economic nature
and affects human beings. not sentiment
ally bu. financially. The ruthless siaugh-
ter Of native Song birds has had bad ef-
AEtI Oh az ltlAlu VI - .Nhlhh 10 81 ANA4-
employing a considerably greater number
Of human beings than the millinery bust
ness ever has or ever viii. There Is n0
reason TO doubt that the destruction OF
the birds. by removing the chief enemies
Of the insect population, has increased the
expenses OF the farmer, aud in some cases
made his business entirely unproitabie'
When a man must hire extra laborers 70
hunt potato bugs and sprinkle paris green
when ne has to buy bug poison b. the
gallon. and be constantly on the lookout
for grubs and insects which are GeterGlin-
ed en- the destruction OF his choice fruits
and grains, his labers are very much IN
creased. and his profits liable to be d.
minished The farmers business is one
Of precarious income at best He has to
contend with all the forces OF nature and
sometimes human antsgonism as well
When. in addition to drought, food, rocks,
general poverty of the land. mortgages,
competition. and other evils, he has to
fight large and continually growing pop
ulation OF insects, invading every depart
ment CT his domain, he is apt to come cut
at the end Of the year with less than be
had at the beginning.
Thus the chain OF events is something
like this: An enterprising millinery firm
offers money for birds which can be OBJ
tanned in The neighboring country. Two
or three farmers boys who are good shots
proceed to earn a few dollars by supply
ing this market 1t does not take them
long to kill Off most Of the birds Of their
neighborhood by such industrious pot
hunting. Then word goes round in the
insect creation that such and such d
place is free from Objectionable bird
police. and the birds find that The same
place is infested by men with guns. Thus
the town. once Peopled with active songs
ters. which fed On insects, comes to be
inhabited by rose bugs, grubs, worms
grasshoppers. and other lively creatures
feeding on the farmers fruit and yegeta-
bles. The insects are Of no use to the
millincr. unfortunately. and not so easily
killed rs the birds So it comes about
that farming is Improbable in that sec
ton. and the daughters of the farmers are
forced to go to town and seek employ
ment in milliners' shops. By that time
somebody has conceived the idea of re-
stricting the slaughter of the birds, anC
the milliners' apprentices violently pro
test. Such is the ort-sightedness o.
human nature.