THE EGRET 
147 
the nullifying of our present laws, as it is practically impos¬ 
sible to secure evidence of their violation on the part of the 
dealers. It also means, unless some adequate means are 
found, the inevitable destruction of all these beautiful species 
from the face of the earth. 
In these days there is arising a many-sided and tremendous 
problem in regard to saving the natural world from ignor¬ 
ant, short-sighted, commercial vandalism. Every tree must 
be cut down, every plant pulled up, every wild thing slaugh¬ 
tered, every beautiful scene disfigured, if only there is money 
to be made from it. What remedies are there to propose ? 
Regarding the herons, an agreement on the part of all the 
nations concerned to penalize the killing of these birds and 
the possession (including wearing) or exportation of all such 
plumes would be excellent. Meanwhile, in our own country, 
the POSSESSION of all such plumes should make one liable 
to the hne for killing a heron, which, in Florida, is $500. 
How many aigrettes would then be bought and worn, pray 
tell! 
Then, too, there should be carried on all the time a cam¬ 
paign of education, not simply about this single matter of the 
“ aigrette,” but to arouse sympathetic interest in the lives of 
all harmless wild creatures, that people may learn to realize 
their value and desire not to kill, but to protect them. Teach¬ 
ers should so teach their scholars, parents their children, 
the clergy preach to their congregations with no uncertain 
voice, that no one may in future have an excuse for ignorance 
and thoughtlessness of this important subject. 
In these enlightened days it should be a matter of moral 
principle with every true lady neither to wear aigrette plumes 
nor any plumage of wild birds. Even if we grant that man 
has a right to the lives of wild creatures, this millinery use of 
birds is too costly from other standpoints. It is a dangerous 
