Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-04-26

at the waist of the canaan If the,
observe a No. IA neck s%pringing ouI
of a 60-inch torso they make an ar
rest and usually o a few thou
sand dollars worth of feathers. Or
one occasion, a suspiciously well-tim'
bered and pompous ship captain wal
searched and a mere core or kerne'
of human being found running
through a huge structure of feath'
ers."
All of the confscated plumes, as
specified in theN1913 law, have been
turned over to the National Associa-
ton OF Audubon Societies. which
has formed them into exhibits and
distributed them among sixty differ
n museums throughout the coun-
try. About twenty thousand dollars
worth Of plumes. 1t is said, are to be
found in these collections.
In spite of these gratifying contri-
buttons to science, the Audubon So
c~ieties, under the leadership of their
president, Mr.. T. Gilbert Pearson,
have neve ceased to agitate for a
more effective law. Their only fear
that it would come too late-after
the last of the "Manukdewata'
in East Indian Islands, has fallen
victim to feminine fashions.
The birds are found in Papua,
New Guinea and certain parts of Az
RIGA, where they are easily slaugh-
tered by the natives during the mat
ing season.
only the full grown male bird
has the gorgeous spread of feathers
which is coveted by commerce" ex-
plains a New York dealer, who is
something of an authority on the
subject. This is at it's best during
the counting season when they hold
their annual dancing exhibits for the
benefit of the less gorgeous but
highly priced females.
Males Hold Exhibition
ION this occasion, the male birds
dance and fly about. exhibiting their
attractions in IA sort of competitive
examination while the females stand
silently by, cycling them critically
and finally making a choice. During
this dancing party the birds are so
~preoccupied and worried for fear
they won't be chosen that they lose
their natural caution. and are easily
picked off with b~low-pipes by the
natives.
ut isn't necessary to kill the bird
in order t. get their feathers, but is
usually more convenient. Lately,
since they have been growing so
scarce. they are frequently trapped
and released after the feathers have
been cut, SO that a new spread can
be grown.
Except at their dancing parties.
the birds of paradise are naturally
cautious and well able to protect
themselves. They have but few nat
ural enemies, but their families are
small. being limited usually to two
offspring per season, so that they in
crease but slowly. This is all the
more reason why they should be
protected from human deoreda-
TONS"
The new tariff law will provide
this protection. at least so far as
this country is concerned. Accord
ing to Mr.. Pearson, II will lend the
thirty-hve year battle against the
slaughter of wild birds for milli-
merry" A few feathers will be snug
gled in and peddled from house to
house. as aigrettes are al present.
But for practical purposes the COM
merce in forbidden feathers will be
at an end.
Law Saved Gulls
an example of how legislation
may save a species threatened with
extinction is to be found in the case
or the sea Wnlch, eVerd years
ago. was nearly wiped out of exis-
tence by the demand of New York
milliners for feathers. All along the
| coast, gulls were slaughtered by the
thousands to supply the trade until
J legislation was put into effect in the
! coastwise and Great Lake states, al
well as by the federal government
making it a crime to kill a sea gull
or to destroy its eggs. AS a result
the species was no longer molested
and now there are millions of sea
gulls again to be seen along oui
coast.
Experience has shown. moreover
that public opinion regardin~ tht
use of feathers is usually strongly in.
huenced by legislation. There is
for instance. no longer much de
mand for the airgrette, although
once enjoyed a tremendous popu,
| larity. The same is true of Other
species which were formerly killed
with impunity in order to crafty tbs
feminine passion for fine feathers.
Thus. back in 1856. DR.. Frank NJ
Chapman, naturalist, walking
through the shopping district of New
York upon a spring afternoon, dis
covered and identified feathers from
robins, thrushes. blue birds. tanag'
ers, warblers, warnings. bololinks