Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-09
KEEP THE SONG BIRDS.
The Fashion Mongers Must Be Beaten
Out Of Sight

E. P. Powell In the Christian Register.
A fight has begun that should be carried
to the finish. Laws have been enacted by
nearly every state forbiddng the killing of
song birds. But the destruction has gone
on, in spite of legislation and public senti-
ment. until there is danger that the more
beautiful and useful of our birds will be
entirely exterminated. The hatmakers and
dressmakers have coolly announced that
the decorations worn by women in 1903 will
more than ever consist of birds and their
plumage. Agents are going all over the
southern states. bagging their victims by
the tens of thousands and shipping them
to the northern markets Audubon soci-
cites have protested vainly legal
statutes have been enacted. Fashion has
snapped its fingers at the law and despised
the petitions of mercy
f. The Audubon Society of New York state
has now entered upon campaign against
this slaughter and the Illegal traffic In
birds and their plumage that bids fair to
be of some moment. William butcher Of
the executive board has addressed a state
ment to dealers. in which he rehearses the
state and federal laws relating to the pro-
lection of non-game birds. and warns them
that the society intends to prosecute all
violators to the extent of the law Three
thousand copies of this statement signed
by the president, Morris X. Jesup by
Frank M. Chapman, chairman of the
butcher. chairman OF the committee on
laws. have been sent to such dealers an
are to be affected. and to persons and
organizations otherwise interested.
This is not contest of a sentimental
sort. 1t has quite passed that stage. 1t is
not a matter of mercy to the beautiful
SongSterS alone: 1t Is question whether
the best friends of agriculture, the very
malnstay OF the orchardiSt, shall be de-
Stroyed. The most careful research shows
that man can hardly carry on his fight
with the insects alone. Aside from their
power to make the world delightful for u.s.
the chief service of the bird is to enable
us TO compete with out insect rivals. Prof.
Hodge says: For this work we have q
vast mechanism in nature: an army as
plastic almost as air; on wings, powerful
ana beautiful. able to carry their flying
SquadronS hundreds and even thousands
or miles whittier food abounds and where
insects threaten destruction TO vegetation
But so recklessly have we dealt with
these friends of ours that more and more
are they fighting shy of civilization" This
Is true with some exceptions There are
certain homesteads and certain towns
where we find illustrated the delightful
harmony and confidence which may exist
between bird life and human life. Bur
roughs says that the birds sing with more
confidence and copiousness in England be-
cause they are protected by civilization.
wood birds here are house and garden
DlrdS there. They sing more hours in
the day and more days in the year He
~hinks that if our birds were uniformly
safe they would come closer to us and be-
come our companions. With proper care
many of our best songsters and most use
ful birds that are now rare might be-
come more common. filling our parks and
the th1ckly planted portions of our towns,
and even our citieS.''