BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



21) 



abolished, that " it may be necessary in 

 some centres to establish a close season, not 

 only for Egrets but other birds as well." 

 How Mr. Smith proposes to obtain egret- 

 plumes that are borne by the birds at the 

 nesting-time only, if that nesting-time is a 

 close season, he does not explain. In India 

 the law against exportation has been met 

 by smuggling ; and it is obvious that in vast 

 extents of country where the slaughter 

 mainly takes place, — in swamp and forest 

 land — close-time laws, even if enacted, could 

 not be enforced. While a lucrative market 

 remains open for the spoils such laws would 

 be laughed at by the hunters. The trade 

 has succeeded in showing that only the most 

 drastic measures against export and import 

 will be effectual. 



It is merely as a representative, and at the 

 present moment the most conspicuous apolo- 

 gist, of the plume-trade that Mr. Hamel 

 Smith calls for so much attention. He has 

 recently published a book purporting to deal 

 with the Egret question, though it might be 

 imagined from the assertions and ideas just 

 quoted that he was hardly competent to act 

 the part of an authority on the subject. The 

 main argument of the book appears to 

 be, that the shooting of game in England is 

 worse than the destruction of birds for 

 millinery, and therefore the destruction for 

 millinery should not be interfered with. 

 Incidentally it complains that the annual 

 meetings of the Royal Society for the Pro- 

 tection of Birds are not recognized as proper 

 occasions for opponents of Bird Protection 

 to make speeches ; that Mr. Smith himself 

 wished to join tlie Society, in order that he 

 might secure a right to set forth his views on 

 such an occasion, but that his subscription 

 was returned with thanks. The Society has 

 probably no wish to deny the latter im- 

 putation ; it is one of the few statements in 

 the book that can be unhesitatingly endorsed . 



THE "ARTIFICIAL" OSPREY. 



It has been a matter for surprise that 

 during all these years while the weary old lie 

 of the " artificial osprey " has been forced to 

 do duty, no effort has apparently been made 

 to place on the market a workable substitute. 

 Every so-called artificial osprey, though sworn 

 to by the trade with the most circumstantial 

 and audacious falsehoods, has been proved 

 beyond doubt to be the feather of a Heron 

 or Egret. Surprise at the barrenness of in- 

 genuity or invention grows less when it is 

 considered that the business in hand is con- 

 cerned with the procuring and importation 

 of feathers, not with the manufacturing of 

 ornaments as such. It is not the trimming 

 that is wanted, it is the sale of a certain 

 profitable kind of trimming. At present, 

 for the first time, a genuine imitation article 

 is on sale at some few shops. It is not of 

 course an " artificial feather," and could not 

 for a moment deceive anyone with the 

 slenderest knowledge of feathers. It is said 

 to be made of hog's bristles. Naturally 

 Bird Protectors have nothing to say against 

 the wearing of hog's bristles by those who 

 like them. It might even be an industry to 

 encourage if it was not obvious that the 

 bristle will be used as a cover for palming 

 off genuine " brush ospreys," which can be 

 had either cheaper or dearer. With curiously 

 prophetic wusdom Ruskin wrote thirty years 

 ago :— 



" Whether a hog's bristle can be turned into 

 a feather or not, it is vital that you should know 

 the present difference between them.''' 



Until every woman is able with certainty 

 to make this distinction, or until the im- 

 portation of Egret plumes is entirely pro- 

 hibited, all bird-lovers are advised to fight 

 shy of " osprey," whether really or spuriously 

 '•■ imitation," if they do not wish to be 

 hoaxed. 



