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All of my readers probably know in a the nesting season and are therefore 



general way that Dame Fashion is re- much easier to capture then than at other 



sponsible for the destruction of the lives times. 



of many birds, but they may not know to Most of the herons and similar plume- 



what extent this is true. bearing birds are hunted and killed for 



Why do we say that any cruel treat- the plumes alone, or, at most, for a very 



ment of the birds is chargeable to fash- small part of the whole plumage. The 



ion? It can hardly be necessary to re- part wanted is taken and the rest left to 



mind ourselves that there is in almost waste, while the bird's body is never used 



every boy's nature a touch of the savage for anything. If nothing worse, it is an 



instincts which find expression in the de- unpardonable waste. In Florida alone 



sire to kill something. Traces of this in- whole rookeries of herons and ibises 



stinct do not entirely disappear with the numbering hundreds and even thousands 



development into manhood, but show of individuals have been wholly de- 



themselves there in the love of hunting stroyed. Now the insatiable plume hunt- 



and fishing. Let these remnants of sav- er, in his effort to supply the demands of 



agery be appealed to by the promise of a no less insatiable fashion, is pursuing 



gain and they are immediately fanned in- the unfortunate birds into the fastnesses 



to flame in the natures of those persons of Mexico and South America. There is 



who are naturally more strongly drawn but one way to stop this work of exter- 



to this primitive occupation of men. In mination, and that is to take away the 



short, place before the professional hunt- demand. This remedy lies wholly in the 



er an easy means of profiting by his skill hands of women. Unless they are willing 



as a hunter, and in far too many instances to take a firm stand against the use of 



he will smother any humane instincts feathers for purposes of ornament the 



which he may have for the sake of the birds are doomed. This may seem like a 



gain. It is the demands of fashion for strong statement, but a little reflection 



plumes and feathers for hat trimmings will prove it true. When the birds which 



which place before these hunters the are now hunted for plumes and feathers 



temptation to kill. Have we not a right, are gone, there will be a modification of 



therefore, to place the blame at the door the demand to include birds of different 



of Fashion? plumage, just as the aigrette is giving 



But what are the practices which we place to the quill. After the quill and the 



call cruel ? In the first place it is cruelty long-pointed wing will come the shorter 



to cause the destruction of life without wing, and after that the plumage of the 



good and sufficient reason. Unneces- small birds, and the cycle of destruction 



sary sacrifice of life is cruelty. Certain- will be complete. 



ly no one will say that it is necessary to Some one may ask why it is that the 

 trim hats with feathers. Fashion decrees birds are so foolish as to allow the hunter 

 that feathers must be worn, and presto! to kill hundreds in a single day from one 

 feathers are worn. In the second place, rookery. Why don't they leave the re- 

 it is cruel to kill birds who are feeding gion when the shooting begins? The 

 young ones in the nest, leaving them to plume hunter has learned cunning. He 

 starvation. Yet this is just what has hap- no longer uses a shot gun, but a small 

 pened and does happen every year, caliber rifle or a wholly noiseless air gun. 

 Plume hunters are no respecters of times The rifle makes no more noise than the 

 and seasons. With them there are no snapping of a twig, and will therefore not 

 closed seasons. The birds which they frighten the birds. By remaining con- 

 are after gather in large rookeries during cealed the hunter may kill every bird that 



