'46 



Bird - Lore 



sin are in favor of the wise and bene- 

 ficial wild -fowl law now upon the statute 

 books of that commonwealth, and the only 

 persons who desire the repeal of the present 

 excellent law are the market-hunters, who 

 have no consideration for the future, but are 

 simply trying to appropriate assets that be- 

 long to all of the citizens of the state and not 

 to any individual. 



Plume Sales* 



The returns for the six plume-auctions 

 held at the Commercial Sale-rooms, Lon- 

 don, in 1906, are not encouraging reading 

 for the bird protector. The numbers cata- 

 ogued of Birds-of-Paradise and of pack- 

 ages of "Osprey" feathers were as follows: 



October . . . 485 5,700 



December. . . 265 3,600 



This would give a total of 1,868 packages 

 of "Osprey," but, owing to the fact that the 

 packages are of varying sizes, the actual 

 quantity of feathers can be only very roughly 

 estimated. 



An average of between 20 and 30 ounces 

 to the package seems to be a fair estimate, 

 and at 20 ounces the total would be over 

 37,000 ounces, or, on Professor Newton's 

 calculations, the feathers of nearly 150,000 

 birds. The total numbers of the Paradise 

 skins is 40,785. In both these cases a per- 

 centage must be allowed for unsold plumes 

 offered a second time; but the figures remain 

 sufficiently discreditable. 



Apart from Egrets, Herons and Birds-of- 

 Paradise, the notable features of the sales 

 were the enormous numbers of Sea-Swallows 

 (Terns) and Kingfishers on sale, and the 

 growing consignments of quill-feathers from 

 Eagles, Buzzards, Pelicans, Albatrosses, 

 Swans and other birds. Ladies are usually 



*From 'Bird Notes and News.' Vol. II. No. 5, IQ07, 

 London. England. 



under the impression that a "quill" must be 

 a harmless ornament obtained from the 

 farmyard. 



The trade in quill - feathers was even 

 more remarkable at the first sale of the 

 present year, held on February 12; of 

 Albatross quill-feathers one firm alone cata- 

 logued some 15,000, and also a very large 

 number of "'Osprey wing-quills." 



Another feature was the 7,000 heads and 

 crests of the Crowned Pigeon on the market. 

 The two handsome species, the Crowned 

 Pigeon (Goura coronata) and the Victoria 

 Crowned Pigeon [Goura Fictoria) are 

 natives of New Guinea and adjacent islands. 



They are nowhere very numerous, and 

 have little chance of becoming so, as only 

 one egg is laid. Some years ago the plume 

 trade penetrated New Guinea in quest of 

 them, but lately fashion has run on other 

 species. Now it would appear that the tuft 

 of feathers on the head, known as "the 

 goura mount," is again the incentive to the 

 persecution of the Crowned Pigeon, and 

 ladies who are tempted with " pigeon" feather 

 trimmings will do well to ascertain what 

 manner of pigeon is meant. The number of 

 Birds-of-Paradise catalogued was 4,328 

 light and 400 dark, nearly all of which 

 were sold. For "Osprey" plumes the de- 

 mand was less; 504 packages were offered. 

 Fifty-three Emu skins were put up ; the 

 Emu is the Australian representative of the 

 Ostrich, much hunted and now being 

 hunted to extermination. 



There were 138 Impeyan Pheasants from 

 India, which "sold at higher prices." 



Aigrettes. — The legal battle that has 

 been going on in New Orleans, relative to 

 the sale of aigrettes, whether taken within 

 or without the state, has probably been 

 finally settled in favor of their non-sale. 

 President Miller, of the Louisiana Audubon 

 Society, who has been the head and front of 

 the fight, wires this Association that "The 

 aigrette case was decided in our favor and 

 the entire non-game bird (model) law has 

 been upheld." Will women still defy law 

 and sentiment ? 



