Destruction by Man 55 



and which were numerous in many places such 

 as Florida and the Mississippi Valley. They 

 have been extirpated over a very large part of 

 this range and that they are not extinct is due 

 to the passing of rigid laws for their protection, 

 to the setting aside as bird refuges by executive 

 order, certain suitable tracts of lands where the 

 birds might live and nest in peace, and by the 

 patriotic efforts of a few private individuals 

 who have established sanctuaries for the herons. 

 The curse of these birds was the beautiful 

 plumes or "aigrettes" which they wore only in 

 the nesting season and which for this reason 

 have often .been called the "bridal" plumes. 

 The story of the destruction of these herons 

 for their plumage is perhaps the most dishearten- 

 ing and certainly the saddest of any connected 

 with the killing of wild birds in this country. 

 The herons nested in large colonies and the men 

 employed by the feather dealers to obtain the 

 plumes, would visit these colonies when the nest- 

 ing season was at its height and when the 

 mother love of the parent birds was so strong 

 that no amount of shooting would make them 

 leave the place. Here, usually with small 

 noiseless rifles, the herons were shot down as they 

 came in from the feeding ground with food for 

 their young, as they sat upon their nests, or some- 



