SPARE THE SWEET SONGSTERS AND LIVING FLOWERS.
By Editor
It was reported at the annual meeting of the Selborne Society in London that on the 13th of last April nearly half a million birds were sold at auction in London alone. Here is a list as then given:— Osprey plumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,352 ounces
Vulture plumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186¾ pounds
Peacock feathers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215,051 bundles
Birds of Paradise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,362 “
Indian parrots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228,289 “
Bronze pigeons, including the goura . . . . . . . . 1,677 “
Tanagers and sundry birds . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,198 “
Humming-birds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116,490 “
Jays and kingfishers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48,759 “
Impeyan and other pheasant and jungle fowl . . . . 4,952 “
Owls and hawks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,163 “ What a fearful slaughter this is! Occasionally one sees a hat with as many as three birds on it. We are glad of the war against the wicked slaughter and traffic, and hope it may be successful. As to the responsibility the Christian Advocate says:— The chief responsibility for the wicked slaughter of our birds lies at the doors of those women who insist upon having their hats adorned with the heads, wings, or entire bodies of the birds. The editor of Natural Science assures us that we can hardly realize the rate at which some of our rarest and most beautiful birds are being destroyed to gratify this extraordinary and, in a sense, vicious taste. We hope the SIGNS family will spare the birds.