The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-06

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 Bird store men in New Orleans have a surprising lack of information with regard bill for the protection of these little ''pipes of the woods and fields' ihas been introduced into the State Legisia- ture. At the present time they do not and they would not knaw Q trapper if they saw one. According to these, the many little Louisiana song birds that are hopping and twittering in cages have evidently come there in some miraculous way without the intervention of the trap per.
 It was not, therefore, through the pro- prietors who could not in justice be ex- pected to furnish information contrary to their interests that some valuable points as to the trapping of Louisiana birds were obtained and the report that large numbers of these little destroyers of ir- sects are shipped each season to North ern and Eastern cities was verified.
 Each season trappers SCOUT the terri tory adjacent to New Orleans and the country parishes for the purpose of se- curing birds to send to the dealers here, who keep a few in stock but send most of them to the North. They trap mockinE birds, red birds or cardinals blue birds, red pops, green birds thrushes and field larks; but their greatest trade is fin the red pop and the blue birds, as mocking birds have become scarce indeed during the past season and bring a high price. One house this past season shipped 600 red and blue pops alone.
 The red and the blue and the little green pops do not look comfortable or happy in their small wooden cages. They are much prettier and happier leaping from branch to branch in tree or flash ing their colors from vine and under brush. In the cages they rub the feathers from the tops of their heads. growing meagre and scared-looking. Instead of : the atmosphere of the woods, they have the close atmosphere of room filled with birds, monkeys. dogs, alllgators and snakes. At night they huddls up into a knot and sleep fitfully. dreaming of the time when they were awakened from a healthy slumber by the flash of light in the sky and the clovered smell of the morning.
 Any one who takes the trouble to visit any one of these bird stores and sees how miserable the red the blue and the green pops are in their cages would be in sympathy with the bill to protect them especially as this bill Is not founded ai- together on a sentimental motive but on the broader reason that these little birds serve a purpose in helping the crops by destroying pernicious insects.
 William Butcher of. New York is now in Baton Rouge, working for the cause. MT. Butcher Is president of the protec- tion committee of the American Orni- thoIogical Union and chairman of the National Committee of the Audubon So- ciety. He has been instrumental in put ting through protection laws in several of the States, and is very much surprised that Louisiana, the home of Audubon, should be without them.
 Not only areetlte Akores along Royal and chartres Streets sfili of these little birds. which after all are not good singers in ! cage, their notes, simply helping to well the chorus of the woods or the lelds, but any number are on sale every morning at the French Market, In almost very part of which their chirpings and witterings are heard. They are piled up cages one on top of another and form bright batch of color--the gray of the ober mocking bird mingling with the red, reen and yellow of the red pops field arks and other little songsters. At the market, as at the stores. the stranger in he city is the chief patron.
 In fact, the business of the bird stores, md the number of trappers that work or them. is fosteted. principally by peo- ile who live outside Of the State of Louis