The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-12-24
WOMAN'S CLUB WORK
Mrs. ID. VI. Smith, Editor


| blrd-Iife that their love for fnery
causes, they would make it unfash-
lonaDle to wear the feathers of birds.
| it must be they do not know, and so
| wish to make an earnest and per-
sonal appeal to every woman who
reads these lines, to consider, if only
for few moments. Every year large
numbers of birds are killed to supply
millinery, many of them in the nest
ing season, when, if the parent birds
are killed, the young must starve in
their nests.
In the report of the American Orn-
ithologist's Union, it was estimated
that about five million birds were an
nually required to fill the demand for
the ornamentation of the hats of |
American women! The slaughter is
not confined to song-birds; everything |
that wears feathers is a target for
the "bird butcher"
From the union: ''The slaughter ex-
tends in greater or less degree thru
out the country. The destruction of |
10000 terms in a single season on !
Cape Cod for expectation, a million |
rail and reed birds (bobolinks) killed
in a single month near Philadelphia, |
are facts that may well furnish food
for reflection
The aigrettes are the nuptial
plumes of the white heron, donner
only for the nesting season. Clothed
in these, the bird is ruthlessly shot
while endeavoring to protect it's nest
Eof young, and on that account is more
easily caught, and after the plume is |
torn out, the dying body is thrown
down in sight of the young ones, that
are crying to their mother for food. |
An American ornitho1ogist, writing
to the press, says: "Plume hunters
have destroyed about all the Florida
rookeries. / saw one whole wagon
load of scapular plumes of ardea
wardi at one point. 1t is burning
shame, and would make your heart
ache to hear the cries of the starving
young birds whose parents have been
killed"
Mr.. Frank Chapman says: "The eco
ncmic value of birds to man lies in the
service they render in preventing the
undue increase of insects, in devour-
ing small rodents, in destroying the
seeds of harmful plants, and in act
ing as scavengers."
Leading entomologists estimate that
insects cause an annual loss of at
least two hundred million dollars to
the agricultural interests of the Unit
ed States. The statement seems in
credible but is based on reliable sta
Itisties. As destroyers of the seeds
of harmful plants, the good done by
birds cannot be over-estimated, while
the chickadees, nuthaches, woodpeck-
iers and some others are Kidding the
trees of myriads of insects eggs and
larvae and the granivorous birds are
reaping crop of seeds, which if left
to terminate would cause heavy
loss to agricultural interests.
AS scavengers the gulls, and some
other water birds, are beneficial in
eating refuse which if left floating on
the water would be cast ashore to de-
cay DIR. George P. Gaumer of Yucca
tan, tells that the killing of immense
numbers of herons in Yucatan has
been followed by an increase in hu-
man mortality among the inhabitants
: of the coast, which he is assured is a
direct result of the destruction of the
birds that formerly assisted in keep
ing the beaches free from decaying
animal matter.
The American Ornithologist's Union
, appeals for money to protect sea-
gulls while nesting. Simple, econom-
ic considerations make it matter of
course that the gulls must be saved.
An immense horde of them, which
naturalists think number anywhere
from hundred thousand to a million,
gorge twice day in New York bay
l upon garbage. Imagine from what
, an amount of putrid matter these
!. birds, as big as hens, save the ada
{ cent beachesI And this is specimen
! of what occurs at every port. And
shall this incalculable sanitary ben
: eft, and all this beauty terminate for
ever, and for no worthy purpose?
Birds preserve the balance of ma
l ture; they are the natural check upon
Y insects and small injurious animals;
t but, when man steps in to destroy
5 them the balance is destroyed and
;. great losses result.
e Prof. Edward Fish of Buffalo, in
t speaking of the great use of birds tc
man, says: at is estimated that they
r save to agricultural purposes alone,
a annually, over S100,000,000 in the
d United States. In many sections in
: sect life is still so abundant as to
e make human life almost uncomfortable.
:. In other sections it is only kept in
a check nv birds apd fboro &c M rIoo,