Miss L. Gardiner—Milestones towards the Plumage Bill 83



1893. Letter in Times from Mr. W. H. Hudson, R.S.P.B., denouncing

the murderous millinery of the day, and Times leader : “ How

long will women tolerate a fashion which involves such whole¬

sale, wanton, and hideous cruelty as this ?


1894. Branch of the S.P.B. founded in South Australia.


1896. Sir William Flower, Director of the British Museum (Natural

History), draws attention to the fraud by which the nuptial-

feathers of Egret and Heron are being sold as “ artificial ”

ospreys. “ Thus one of the most beautiful birds is being

swept off the earth, under circumstances of peculiar cruelty,

to minister to a passing fashion, bolstered up by a glaring

falsehood.”


1899. Order issued for the discontinuance of the wearing of " osprey ”

plumes by officers of the British Army, after consideration of

statement furnished to Lord Wolseley by the R.S.P.B.


Stories of “ Egret farms ” and “ shed plumes ” circulated by

the trade. “ The various reports of Egret farms have in each

case proved upon investigation to be wholly mythical ” {Auk,

January, 1900).


1900. Indian Branch of the Society for the Protection of Birds

inaugurated.


Circular issued by Indian Government to local Administra¬

tions asking for details as to the killing of birds and exportation

of plumage.


1902. Exportation prohibited from British India of all bird-skins and

feathers, except Ostrich feathers.


National Association of Audubon Societies founded in New

York by Mr. William Dutcher.


190G. Queen Alexandra authorizes the Royal Society for the Protec¬

tion of Birds to use her name in any way most conducive to the

protection of birds, and to make known that Her Majesty never

wears “ ospreys ” and would do all in her power to discourage

the cruelty inseparable from the fashion.


1907. Mr. Walter Goodfellow calls attention, at the British Orni¬

thologists’ Club, to the practical extermination by plume-hunters

of species of the Bird-of-Paradise.



