162 THE IMPORTANCE OF BIRD LIFE 



Before discussing plume hunters and their 

 methods, however, it would be advisable to become 

 familiar with the objects of their search plumes 

 and skins. The word " plume " we shall take in 

 its broadest generic sense to cover all bright, 

 large, and fanciful-shaped feathers whose individ- 

 ual beauty warrants their being used singly to 

 adorn a hat or gown. Such plumes then may be 

 the long scarlet or blue tail-feathers of the 

 macaws; the emerald tail of the quetzal trogon; 

 the wing- or tail-feathers of any large hawk, eagle, 

 or vulture; the silky plumes of the bird of para- 

 dise, the ostrich, or rhea; the smoky tufts of the 

 egret; or the embroidered crests of the crowned 

 pigeon. They may be assumed in the mating 

 season by the males to react upon the esthetic 

 sensibilities of the females, or they may be 'worn 

 by both sexes alike; it does not matter which. 

 That they have elegance, grace, and beauty which 

 will attract the eye of Fashion, is all that the 

 plume hunter desires. 



Commercial skins as a rule are taken from 

 small birds which will appear decorative on a hat 

 or in a glass case when stuffed. To be of the 

 desired sort they must be a mass of vivid color, or 

 snow-white or jet-black. Within this list fall the 

 gulls, terns, grebes, fruit pigeons, kingfishers, 

 parrots, hummingbirds, trogons, jacamars, sun- 

 birds, toucans, larks, thrushes, wrens, orioles, 

 honey-creepers, troupials, and tanagers. Thus it 



