10 



be too strongly urged upon all classes of our people. 

 Farmei-s and fruit-growers, particularly, should make 

 especial efforts to encourage the presence of beneficial 

 birds on their premises. The Pennsylvania Hoard 

 of Gauie Counnissiouers, assisted by the members or 

 the State Sportsmen's Association, have prepared, with 

 great care, a game bill, which is, at present writing, in 

 the hands of the Legislature. If this measure becomes 

 a law, it will afford protection to insectivorous birds 

 which has never before been given in this State. 



If the section, as originally framed, of this! bill, 

 which deals with "wild song and insectivorous birds," 

 passes both branches of the General Assembly and re- 

 ceives executive approval, the days of the hat-bird 

 killer and the commercial bird-egg hunter will be 

 numbered, as they most assuredly should be. 



The millinery taxidermists, the bird-egg-collecting 

 fad, so common with school boys, have in the last ten 

 or fifteen years caused an enormous depletion of bird- 

 life. 



The millinery trade requires bright-plumaged birds 

 to satisfy its tender-hearted, channing and lovable cus- 

 tomers. 



20,000 BIRDS IN FOUR YEARS. 



To fill the orders received from the millinery es 

 tablishments, taxidermists have scoured the woods, or 

 cliards, mountains and fields in search of victims. In 

 this manner immense numbers of showy species such 

 as orioles, tanagers. warblers, rose-breasted grosbeaks, 

 cardinals, indigo buntings, jays, bob-olinks. wood- 

 peckers, snow birds, larks, etc., have been slaughtered. 

 Some few years ago I met a taxidermist in one of 

 our large cities, who, with the aid of one assistant (a 

 taxidermist) and sevprnl mt^n and boys, whom he em- 



