Papers on the Destniction of Native Birds. 165 



some game clubs who threatened him with prosecution if ne did 

 not stop his inhuman work. 



He was particularly severe on the scientific men, as he called 

 them, who criticised his methods and only bought from him one or 

 two of a kind. The demands made on him by the milliners were 

 so great that none were obtainable for scientific specimens. I 

 have always found that when the pocket-book of science and the 

 pocket-book of fashion come in competition, science gets left every 

 time. 



A lady of this city, who deals in feathers for decorating head- 

 gear, sent for me recently to look over a large case of birdskins 

 .she had just received from Texas. This case contained hundreds 

 of meadow larks and many other birds, so badly pre])ared, dirty 

 and greasy as to be completely worthless for any purpose what- 

 ever — a complete waste of so many valuable birds' lives. 



The lady who had received the box, to her credit, said : 

 " What a shame to kill such a lot of birds. I wish they would end 

 this stupid bird-wearing fashion." 



Neither rarity nor exquisite song has been any safeguard to 

 shield a species from giving up its valuable life to the insatiable 

 demands of fashion. I have seen hundreds of yellow-breasted 

 chats, and the sweetest of American songsters, the wood thrush, 

 wired and mutilated almost beyond recognition for this devilish 

 purpose. 



Bunches of wings of the European skylark prove that even it 

 has not escaped the general destruction. Think of killing such a 

 bird for such a purpose ! A creature that has inspired many of the 

 poets of the British Isles, and of whom Jas. Hogg, the " Ettrick 

 Shepherd," has written: 



'-!.■'' ' ' ■- 



" Bird of the wilderness, 

 Blyi.hsome and cumberless, 

 Sweet be thy matin o'er mountain and lea ; 

 Emblem of happiness, 

 Blest in thy dwelling-place, 

 Oh, to abide in the desert with thee! 

 Wild is thy lay and loud 

 Far in the downy cloud, 

 Love gives it energy, love gave it birth ; 

 Where on thy dewy wing. 

 Where art thou journeying? 

 Thy lay is in heaven, thy love is on earth. 



