The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-23
E.. H. DILLON & co.

egret plun1es is to go to the nests when Lney are full of young birds unable to ny. At such time the egret mur- oerers have no difficulty, for attack rom defenceless birds is impossible. and flight by parents from their helpless fedgling is unthinkabIe. They are shot down while they brood over the young they refuse to desert. Who cares that millions of chicks are left to die of starvation? Who needs the woodland dripping with blood? Who thinks of the extermination of herons in Florida and elsewhere? Who trou- pies about the brutal negation of bird parenthood. when the result adorns the f1fteen-dollar hat of the hu- man wife and mOther7 r.
 Tbe above statement has been re- futed So often in the columns of The Millinery Trade Review that when ever such a story appears 1t is nau- seating to it's readers, we have pass ca Dy many times unnoticed, but this time 1t affords us an opportunity to submit the testimony of Mayene GTisol naturalist and explorer, who has re- s1oed Tor twenty years or more in Ven. ezuela. the home of the egret. and who states with authority that the egret Is protected by the government and it's plumage gathered and sold as an article of commerce. We quote from his report:
 1NSAJ WA0Ec OH Lu6 STOuuQ, AS well as on the tree branches and on the bushes and thickets. they leave their
 feathers, which at that moment must form the happiness of the natives and of the workmen busy with the harvest thereof. It is from Septem-
 Der to November that they gather
 what these delightful birds wish to leave us of such incomparable orna-
 ments. There are some Garzeros,
 where daily from three to four kilos of
 these magnificent feathers may be
 gathered, and I can affirm that n.y.
 self. was fortunate enough to gather
 the products of one Garzero, called
 Garzero de los Canitos, located in the
 plains of Candelaria, belonging to Mess. Merques & Co.,, of Caracas.
 II had with me six men for the gathering of the feathers and the daily result was from about 600 to TOO grams per man, at the time of the highest moult. As 8 total may calculate
 that as an average for three months obtained from 450 to 800 grams day per man. It is we'll understood that I am speaking only of feathers gather ed or picked from the ground and from branches of bushes: I shall add that some species of birds, especially the Tordito (smail thrush) which is a kind of small blackbird, construct the interior of their nests with white her. on feathers which they gather abun- dantly and it is not unusual that in these nests are found from 5 to 10 grams of feathers which always main- tain their value. notwithstanding that they are twisted in order to form a soft down on which rest their eggsg and their little ones. I know another Garzero in the city of Guarico, called Chaguanga1, which gives yearly 125 to 1sO pounds of feathers gathered or picked up, as I said above
 'NTO sum m fha feafhprc avnnr&oS from Venezuela for our markets are for the greatest part gathered feath- CTS, and the exception being those com- ing from birds killed. the meat Of which serves as food to the natives living in these regions.
 T know certain owners who suc- cessfully began the raising of white herons and of Crosse and I also affirm that every year more than 1000 kilos of white heron feathers are ex- ported from Venezuela. gathered and picked up as I stated. The harvest cisely because they protect the birds which furnish their feathers one of the most appreciable revenues of these rich countries.''
 The law of Venezuela emphatically states:
 $ The development of the in- dustry of heron feathers constitutes a State industry. which is subject to the regulations which the present law lays down.
 The hunting of herons with firearms or any other procedure, caus- ing the extermination of these birds is absolutely prohibited. The collection of the feathers must be accomplished by the system of picking, Or any other system not conflicting with that laid down in the preceding article"
 As the greater portion of the aig- rettes used in America and imported from Paris or London direct from South America, are Venezuelan pro- duct. this statement should silence forever the American cranks making Use of the term, "murderous millin- cry" when referring to the wearing of the plumage of the egret Or white heron. The newspapers are now giv- ing much space to blood curdling'' articles on the "butchery of our birds" emanating from the Audubon Society, to affect legislation. These articles contain the usual exaggerated stories If We are not permitted to call them lies-regarding the money interests of the millinery trade organized to fight bird protection" All that the trade is doing is seeking to protect it's rights and be permitted to conduct it's husi- ness legally and righteously.-The Mill linery Trade Review.
 Don't handle the dough any more than Uhop lr riro I,fSc1rifS