172 



Bird - Lore 



that the opposition to the Levy Bill was 

 entirely a matter of misguided sentiment, 

 and that failure to pass it would entail a 

 very great loss to large legitimate business 

 interests. 



A hearing on the merits of the bill was 

 given by the Forest, Fish and Game Com- 

 mittee of the Assembly, on April 26. 

 This Association was represented by the 

 First Vice President, Dr. T. S. Palmer, 

 the general counsel, Mr. Samuel T. 

 Carter, Jr., and by the Secretary. Mrs. 

 Ralph Waldo Trine spoke for the women 

 of the Association. The New York Zoo- 

 logical Society was represented by Dr. 

 William T. Hornaday; the New York 

 Association for the Protection of Game 

 by Mr. Robert B. Lawrence; The Camp- 

 Fire Club of America by Mr. A. S. Hough- 

 ton; The American Museum of Natural 

 History by Mr. W. DeW. Miller, and the 

 Humane Society of Rochester by Mr. 

 J. W. Johnston. There were also several 

 others present in the interest of bird pro- 

 tection, among these was Mr. C. S. Cooke, 

 attorney for Miss Theodora Wilbour, a 

 member of the Audubon Society. The 

 millinery interests were represented by an 

 attorney and several men and women 

 connected with the millinery business. 



The milliners contended that the Shea 

 Law was indefinite and difficult of inter- 

 pretation; that its enforcement would pro- 

 duce much suffering on the part of em- 

 ployees of the feather trade; that they 

 had no desire to deal in the feathers of 

 New York birds, and wished only to be 

 permitted to carry forward a business in 

 imported feathers. The Levy Bill, they 

 said, would give them the relief they 

 sought. 



The Audubon Society and its friends 

 contended that it had already been demon- 

 strated that the Shea Plumage Law was a 

 practical one and easy to construe; that 

 the Levy Bill would open the way for the 

 killing of many New York birds which 

 the people of the state desired should be 

 preserved; that the feather workers 

 would still find adequate employment in 

 making decorations for women's hats, 

 and that it was hardly fair to repeal the 



Shea Law before it had time to go into 

 effect on July first of this year. Attention 

 was also called to the fact that this law 

 had passed at the last session of the Legis- 

 lature by an overwhelming majority, and 

 in response to an almost universal demand 

 on the part of the people of the state. 



The hearing was a long and spirited one. 

 The Committee reserved its decision until 

 a later date and, as stated above, the bill 

 has now passed into the hands of the Rules 

 Committee. — T. G. P. 



Save the White Herons 



It is very apparent that, unless the 

 most immediate and energetic efforts are 

 taken, the Snowy Heron and American 

 Egret in the United States will soon suc- 

 cumb to the greed of man and pass into 

 history, to take their places beside the 

 Labrador Duck, the Passenger Pigeon, 

 Eskimo Curlew, and Carolina Paroquet. 

 Their habits of nesting in colonies, the 

 fact that they produce aigrette plumes 

 only in the reproductive season of the year, 

 the constantly increasing prices which are 

 paid for their feathers, and the eagerness 

 with which they are hunted, all combine 

 to produce an adverse condition under 

 which no species of animal life can long 

 survive. 



This Association, and many State 

 Audubon Societies, have been laboring 

 for years to stem the terrific tide of fashion 

 and love of money which is sweeping the 

 birds with relentless force to the sea of 

 extinction. Many positive results have 

 been accomplished. For example: the 

 states where these birds are found have, 

 through the work of the Audubon Society, 

 passed laws to protect them. In several 

 states, including New York, New Jersey, 

 Louisiana, Missouri, Massachusetts, Ore- 

 gon, and California, statutes have been 

 enacted which prohibit the sale of Heron 

 feathers, and thousands of thoughtful 

 women have ceased to wear aigrettes and 

 have placed the stamp of their disapproval 

 upon the custom, — and still the slaughter- 

 ing of the birds goes on! There are yet 

 many large cities where business interests 



