296 



Bird - Lore 



aigrettes, rose to bo a considerable busi- 

 ness in \enezuela. It was injured by 

 legislation against the importation of 

 plumage of wild birds, fust in the United 

 States and then in (ireat Britain, while 

 the outbreak of war closed the Hamburg 

 market and greatly decreased the demand 

 in Paris. \'enczuela's exports of Heron 

 aigrettes in igoS were valued at S1S7.005; 

 in 1900 at $230,205: in loio at $108,287; 

 in iQii at $300.50-: i" loi- ;it $373,312; 

 in 19 13 at $027,440; in 1014 at S31.4O1 ; in 

 1915 at $166,339; and in the first si.x 

 months of 1916 at S3 7.050. 



These feathers come exclusi\ol\ from 

 the states of Bolivar and Apure, where 



there are many ba_\ mis along the Orinoco, 

 and many lakes remaining after the annual 

 overflow of the plains, to which Herons 

 and other birds resort in great numbers. 

 The importance of the feather-trade to this 

 district can be judged from the fact that 

 the total population is only 100,000, and 

 that the only other resource is the cattle 

 business. A serious decline in the com- 

 mercial prosperity of Ciudad, Bolivar, and 

 San Fernando du Apure has come about 

 since the practical extinction of this 

 trade in 1914, and the people of the dis- 

 trict have been urgent in their appeals to 

 the Federal Government to do something 

 to obtain the repeal of hostile foreign laws. 



BATTLE FOR THE CROPS--FARMER.S VS. INSECT PESTS 







5r J^ 



'i-i 







^! g-!.^'X; ~ -^rK^.'^ 



— Court«s>- CouDiry QeatI«Btni 



Note, that the farmers are shown also shooting the birds that are coming to help fight the insects 



