124 THE NA TURE-STUD V RE VIE W l3 : 4 - APR ., , go7 



In 1896 over 16,000 young seals were found dead from starvation on the 

 Pribilof Islands. In 1897 it was estimated that since pelagic sealing began 

 upward of 400,000 adult female seals had been killed at sea and over 300, 

 000 young seals had died of starvation as the result. The revolting barbarity 

 of such a practise, as well as the wasteful destruction which it involves, needs 

 no demonstration and is its own condemnation. [From President Roosevelt's 

 Message, 1906.] 



Species of Aster. Two species of Aster named in Gray's "Manual of 

 Botany" have a large number of forms with slight variations. Dr. Burgess, of 

 New York, separates the two species into eighty-one new species. Commenting 

 on this species-making, The American Botanist says: It is safe to say that 

 none but the author could identify these eighty-one species if the labels should 

 accidently get mixed, but the author, undaunted by this array of species, has 

 named ten more varieties and nearly two hundred and fifty lesser forms! Two 

 species expanded into nearly three hundred and fifty forms. This ought to 

 amuse even the hawthorn specialists. If anybody ever starts in on the human • 

 race with similar ideas of what species are, some families will doubtless be 

 found to consist of at least half a dozen new species and possibly one or two 

 new genera." 



Unstable Names Of Plants. Referring to an attempt to make another 

 change of scientific name for a well known plant The American Botanist, 

 makes the truthful statement that the movement for stable nomenclature has 

 made scientific plant names so unstable that common names are used by pre- 

 ference when one wishes to be exact. Three-fourths of the names of orchid 

 in Grav's "Manual" have been changed by the systematists. 



Birds and Burdock. Bird- Lore publishes a note and a photograph 

 showing a bird entangled in the burs of burdock on which it had alighted. 

 Similar cases have been reported. 



Aigrettes. The good news is reported (by Bird- Lore) from London 

 that there is a decided falling off in the sales of heron plumes (aigrettes) "on 

 account of the absence of American trade." For this thanks are due to 

 the Audubon Societies behind the laws. At a recent meeting the Federation 

 of Women's Clubs of Pennsylvania and New Jersey adopted a resolution 

 against the use of aigrettes by club women. Each month there is news of a 

 decided advance in the work of bird protection. It is to be hoped that every 

 nature-study teacher is helping in the great movement toward making the 

 coming generation of women realize their full responsibility for the utterly 

 barbarous practices connected with securing bird's skins for ornamental pur- 

 poses. 



