Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-04-27
by w. q. FITZGERALD.

Read Before the Salem BRO oIuuy
Club.
The world can III spare the glad
ness and music of nesting birds;
and it Is a strange thought that 20
years OF strenuous agitation has been
necessary to make women realize u
"a their demands alone that caused
cruel war TO be waged on a sweet
wild life that ought to be our COM
mon heritage.
To supply the milliner's wants
men have stopped at nothing-even
murder. Last summer Warden Guy
Bradley was deliberately ambushed
and killed by poaching plume-hunt-
ers, while defending the Florida
egrets on behalf of the Audubon So
ciety. And many lives are lost every
year in the poisonous heart OF New
Guinea, whittier explorers go In
quest of the gorgeous Bird OF Para
disc. for which they trade ivory and
ornaments with the savage native
trappors.
Before me as I write is n letter
from Mr.. A. Il. Pratt, n typical Blrd
of Paradise hunter In the remote
Aru islands, of the New Guinea
coast. "Thls is dreadful work." he
says. 81 have just spent weeks on
an evil smelling, dilapidated junk
working through an endless net OF
lonely channels reeking with mud.
My way lies in gloomy forests OF
mangroves that spring from feverish
and Shiny ooze. In these swamps
breed mosquitoes and malaria; and
the hldeous silence OF this living
tomb is broken only by the peculiar
'clnck' clack' OF the blvalves lying
I'm the swamps amid the mangrove-
roots, ms they close their shells with
a snap when the tide recedes.
The sight OF the male Bird OF
Paradise enveloped I'm the splendor
OF his ylumes and dancing on a lit
tie mound before his admlrlng fe-
males, Is a sight that will always he
with me. Most of the birds are only
about II inches from tip OF beak to
end OF tail. and their head and necG
are clothed with delicate yellow
feathers. The lower part OF the
throat Is emerald-greon, the beak Is
lead-bluo; and he has large, strong
feet, which arc OF pale ashy-pink
shade.
But his glory lies In the dense
mass OF long silky plumes growing
under each wing. sometimes to a
length OF two feet, As you know
they are of brilliant orange, shading
from white TO light-brOwn. IL IL a
gruesome businecs TO contemplate n
pitiful heap of these lovely creatures
laying dead with blood bedraggled
plumes.
"The natives are slaughtering
them Wholesale, just as the Austria
lian black-fellows' are making away
with the superb Tyre bird. O
course. It Is question of supply an'
demand. The rich golden eoppei
feathers of tho Tyre bird fetch on
dollar and twenty-five cents each II
Melbourne; and as TO Paradis
plumos, they are worth far NOR
than their weight In gold
The most cruel case OF all Is tha
OF the Little Egret, from who's
dorsal plumes, only assumed durin
the breeding season, the so-cnlle
''osproys" or "aigrettos" of the mi
liner are taken. II has called ia
years of appeal from press aud pu
pit. queen and Presldont. TO afec
the demand for those nuptial plume
OF our most lovely bird. a mary'
OF beauty, indeed. Is the male egr,
at breeding time. His creamy dors'
plumes hang gracefully over hi
iyory-white body; others droop trol
his neck. and towering white cres
ornaments his proud head Tn
bird Is Wild aud solitary enough a
ordinary times; but when the pan
entail instinct is strong they all mat
together In colonies and build thel
careless nests OF sticks.
IL was a sad day when fashion d,
creed that their lovely plumes shoul
be worn In millinery; and it Is hard
iy possible that any woman shoul
be acquainted with the details o
plume-hunting aud yet continue Z
wear ornaments secured In SO dread
full a manner.
W DM