Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-11-02
THE HORRORS OF THE rLuxK TRADE.

THE HORRORS OF THE PLUME TRADE.
lBy william butcher. Published by the Ma
tionsi Association of Audubon Societies
Ignoring the economic value OF wild
birds, which alone should be a sufficient
reason for their preservation, there is an
other reason why none should be killed
for millinery ornaments. The horrors at
tending the collection of pluraes of herons
is beyond the powers OF language to de-
cribe. Much has been written on the
subject in the past, and il seems almost
impossible that any woman who reads
current bird literature or the pnblie press
can fail to know the extreme cruelty at
tending the traffic in Wild bird plumsge.
The American women who are still will
ing to wear the plumes OF the white
herons sometimes offer as an excuse that
they are net taken from native herons.
were killed in America or in some other
part OF the world. The same cruelty is
practiced in the Eastern Hemispere as in
the Western. The paltry price in money
that is paid for the plumes is not to be
compared to the price paid in blood and
suffering.
Women must remember. That white
herons wear the coveted plumes only dur
ing the breeding sea son; that the parent
birds must be shot in order to obtain the
piumes. that the young birds in the nests
must starve in consequence OF the death of
the parentS; that all statements that the
plumes are manufactured or are gathered
after being molted by the adult birds are
false. Human skill cannot reproduce a
feather, and, after the breeding season,
all herons' plumcs are worn and ragged.
and are therefore, unfit for use.
A. II. 4. Msttingiey, of Melbourne,
graphically describes the horrors he wit
messed at a heron rookery in New South
Wales, which had been raided by plume
hunters, and verified his statements by
the camera. He says:
Notwithstanding the extreme heat and the
myriads of mosquitoes, determined to re-
visit the locality during my Christmas holt
days, in order to obtain ono picture ouIy--
namely, that Of a white crane, or cgrrt, feed
Ing its young. when near the place. could
see some large patches Of white, either float
ing in the water teclilJng on the fallen
trees in the vicinity OF the egret's rookery.
This set me specializing as to the cause of
this unusual sight As / drew nearer, wha, a
spectacle met my gare-s sight that made my
blood fairly boil with Indignation.
There, stre~n on the floating waier-weed,
and also on adjacent logs, were at least ATTY
caressses OF large white and smaller piumed
egrets- nearly one-third of the rookery. per-
hsps more-;he birds having been shot off
their nests containing young. What hclo-
caust! Plundered for their plum.s. VIVA,
monument of human oallousnessi There
were atty birds ruthlessly destroyed. beside
their young about aol left To die of srarys-
ton.
This last fact was betokened BY at least
seventy eatessses OF the nestlings which had
become so weak that heir legs had refused to
support them. aud they had fallen from the
nests into the water below and been
misers6iy drowned; while In the trees above,
the remainder OF the psrentless young ones
could be seen staggering In the nests, some of
them failing with splash into the water as
their waning strength left them too exhausted
to hold up any longer, while others simply
stretched themselves out on the nest And so
vain to sttract the at,ention Of passing vgrets.
which were flying with food in their bills to
feed their own young, and il was = pitiful
sight, indeed, TO see these s;aryeiings with
outssretehsd neeks and gaping bills, implor-
Ing the passing birds to feed them. Wha, a
siekening sight. How my heart aehed for
them! How could any one bot cold blooded, |
callous monster destroy in this wholesale
manner such beautiful birds the EN- boaiment |
OF ali that is pure, graceful and good:
"in one tree at the heronry the nests OF the |
plumed egret and egret were seen. In another |
large tree photo was taken OF two young |
piumed egrets and one young large |
egret together ia the same nest. These |
birds were the sole survivors Of several broods |
of both species which had nested together in |
the same tree. They had evidently sought |
one another's company, because all the |
balance Of the nestlings had expired through |
lack of nonrishment, their parents having 4
been shot by the plume-hanters. or. rather,
plume plunderers.'
A Ike gruesome story is given by |
William l.. Finley, northwest field agent |
OF the National Association OF Audubo |
Societies, after he had explored the region !
about Lake Maiheur, Oregon, where |
thousands Of v bite herons bred, |
but now none are to be found - ali abso- |
iutely exterminated by plume hunters.
Every aigrette we see, whet her adjoining |
spare the msrk) woman's head or for |
sale in the shops, has been torn from the |
body OF dead heron. This vandalism will |
not cease while the reward of gold lasts,
unless the heart OF fashion changes or |
drastic laws are enacted forbidding the
sale OF herons' plums irrespective OF FROM
" hat part OF the world the plumes are
taken.
This nnhoiv trade must bsa sfa,nrad o,t