The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-03-12

Of the greatest interest to our winter
visitors. Now they are silent and de-
serted. despOiled of a chief attraction
by plume and bird and skin hunters
who have robbed US Of our chiefest
attractions In Florida journals We
read that in 1892 Audubon was a St
Augustine. and was most enthusiastic
about the birds. He sees pelicans.
cormorants egrets. herons. gU!ls and
terms all fearlessly happy in the trees.
swamps or in the water. FTocks Of
birds. thousands everywhere. he
writes There were four hundred
nests Of cormorants over our heads.
Rose colored curlews stalked grace
fully beneath mangroves, purple her
ons rose at every step we took. and
each cactus supported the nest Oc
white IBIS while great hOcks Of birds
overhead as they passed seemed like
clouds. The air was darkened by the
whistlng wings. while on the water
ffoated beautiful purple aliinules,
great 1ocks of ibises fed apart from
equally large collections Of godnets
and thousands Of herons paced grace
fully along the sand. Compare this
description of fifty years or even
twenty years ago with that Of today
Let US journey from Silver Springs
10 Jacksonville on the White Wings
and enumerate the different varie-
ties One crane, is that an optical
| illusion? | think we see il verified
on the scenery in the New Temple
Theater. OF all the thousands and
| myriads OF birds. does that one alone
| tell the tale? Birds have a right TO
their lives That simple truth alone is
enough 10 bring into existence a law
| for their protection. Another suffi-
| cient reason for such a law lies in
~t,1i~ ~ i,, r.F
certain pests which are their natural
food. And still another. and to me.
an ardent lover of the birds. still more !
powerful. is their mission to men in I
| adding the charm OF their beauty, |
| their song, their grace to his aesthetic |
| world. In pleading the cause of my |
| little brothers OF the air" l feel as |
tho | had failed if l had not enlisted |
/ or tried TO enlist the sympathy OF the |
women Of this club; for l really plead |
| for the protection of something in |
| fintely dearer and more precious to |!
the world than birds. its ideal of wo- |
manhood Woman has stood for gem |
| erations embodied tenderness and |
sympathy. Her gentleness has made |
her great and now a cry is heard in
other lands. in all lands. that this
ideal.-this world cherished posses
sion. is being slain by woman'S own
hand. From seashore and forest and
field. the wall is swelling that where
once were thousands upon thousands
Of useful and ornamental birds. some
localities have been entirely depopu
lated Where once the islands about
Florida We're white with the beautiful
egrets, one is now rarely seen. And
for what vanity of woman. Com
pare the noble example Of Madame
Lille Lehem, the world famed singer,
who long ago began her human battle
for. and raised her beautiful voice in
defense of the birds She has come to
deny herself feather pillows out Of a
gentle tenderness for the birds. She
reserves no sacrifice on their behalf.
Extreme do you say? Perhaps If We
can carry tenderness too far in
world that needs il so much.
Do you remember how stirred with
Indignation the souls of decent l,eo-
pie We're over the disgraceful scenes
at the Long Island shooting matches
about eight years ago, and how that
little sensitive souled boy, VII" wit
messed the revolving pastinIe. went
into commissions. and became insane
over the memory Of the mas sacre Of
the doves?
And this is the dove whose pr"gene-
trix flew.
I
to renew.
,, With crippled wing dropping. its beak
shot away.
4 crime. not at midnight. bat done
in full day;
: And this is land that humanity PEG
pies.
And whose Heaven is hid by confusion
| of steeples.
), And now a word to our boys and
girls. | think l will relate a true
. story. In the rear Of my homo. years
, ago. We planted d vine. q grape vine.
= in order to enjoy both the grateful
, shade and luscious fruit. Soon the
I birds began to come and light among
, its trailing branches and .ck the
! fruit and finding themselves undis-
I turbed. began TO build the:- nests.
!, Birds of all kinds hooking birds. red
= birds, blue birds. yellow birds. l call
I it my bird restaurant for my little
0 boarders. This happened some
e eight or ten years ago. Soon little
: cooling or mourning dove came with
: his little bride They soon picked out
a little spot and began to build their
nest How happy and busy they
were? So much planning and such
twittering. all the while they were at
work. Soon they had it finished.
There were TWO lovely little eggs. then
d the little wee wife began TO set all
day and all night on the little eggs to
keep them warm. and one day there
/. We're two little mouths 10 fiji How
: wide they opened them, Talk about
: work. From early dawn to setting
sun first the papa and then the mann
ma bird were kept busy filling their
little mouths, Such cooling never was
heard before. One day a boy came
along. Che is living right in Ocala)
stopped and saw the little mamma
bird He then took his gun and shot
. that dear little wee birdie in her nest
then tool, and threw it to the cat.
! How those little brides cried md
grieved themselves to death. The
papa bird gave such mournful and
distressing cries. until l vas glad
when he flew away The boy IS grown
TO be a man. is married. meet him
often but never without my seeing
the picture of that little bird nest
- and home. made desoate by his hand
n. Wicked. l hear YOU say. IT does >een7
n as tho a boy who could do that would
A. be guilty Of almost any bad thing
l. and Yet it Is possible that a boy
u might be cruel 10 birds from thou CHIT
- lessness. and because no one had ever
;, told him what kind friends these lirrl.