Papers on tJie Destruction of Native Biids. 179 



The society furnishes to each member a handsome certificate 

 of membership. This bears a portait of the great naturalist, John 

 James Audubon, after whom the society takes its name. 



Wm. Hubbell Fisher. 



Cincinnati, May 25, 1886. 



THIRD PAPER. 

 By Reuben H. Warder, Esq. • 

 (Read May 25, 1886.) 



Jo the Society of Natural History : 



All observing lovers of birds, and students of Natural History, 

 have noticed with increasing anxiety the i)revalent fashion of wear- 

 ing bird skins for the decoration of ladies' hats and gowns. 



It is probable that this custom would never have become so 

 general if the wearers of fine feathers had realized the great de- 

 struction of bird life, to which the fashion leads. In order to- pre- 

 vent the further wanton " Murder of the Innocents," many of the 

 ablest and most tireless, true birdlovers have used both pen and 

 voice in appealing to the public to stop this slaughter. Some 

 theorists reply that this is all sentiment and go on to deny that there 

 has been any diminution of numbers of birds; they assert that 

 birds are the natural prey and- food of man; that no special de- 

 struction effects their numbers; that birds will continue to exist in 

 spite of all that man does until they give place to something better, 

 and so on. We admit that figures are, from the nature of the cas'e, 

 difficult to get, and more or less uncertain. But the fact remains 

 that in addition to the ordinary and unavoidable destruction of 

 birds, by their enemies, by changed conditions of life and by man, 

 that fashion has demanded the killing of very large numbers of. 

 birds, of various sorts, of the most useful and highly prized species. 

 We hold that this killing can not go on indefinitely without effect- 

 ing the numbers and disturbing the natural balance of creation, 

 in which birds perform so useful a part. 



Ai>d, as this fashion is a merely idle and useless one, and so 

 injurious in its effects, we ask the help of all members of this Soci- 

 ety, all well disposed persons, to aid the movement now in pro- 

 gress to discourage all wearing of feathers for decorative (so called) 

 purposes. We called on all who are interested to form Anti Plum- 



