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XIV. 

 A PLEA FOR THE SEA GULLS. 



THE fashion amongst the gentle sex of wearing feathers 

 and entire bird skins as objects of ornament was never 

 more prevalent than it is at the present moment. 

 Ladies in every grade of Society follow the practice. 

 What the peer's wife or daughter wears upon her head- 

 dress or other attire in the shape of feathers, the 

 peasant's and artizan's female folk seek to emulate. 

 The market for feathers is always a brisk one ; although 

 the certain kinds that chance to be the favourite of 

 fashion are constantly varying. We do not intend to 

 utter words of protest against the cruel and endless 

 slaughter of the Humming Birds, and other tropic gems 

 of bird-life that glut our English markets in shiploads ; 

 nor do we seek to protest against the sacrifice of so 

 many of our smaller British birds at the shrine of 

 Fashion. The practice of wearing these pretty little 

 creatures as ornaments cannot be too severely con- 

 demned ; but our present remarks will be confined to a 

 plea for the Sea Gulls. The delicate French gray and 



