"MURDEROUS MILLINERY" 195 



changing their guns when too hot ; another set 

 picking up the birds, and often cutting their wings 

 'off and flinging their victims into the sea, to 

 struggle with feet* and head until death slowly 

 came to their relief; and I have 'seen the cliffs 

 absolutely * spotted ' with the fledglings which 

 have died of starvation, owing to the destruction 

 of their parents. And it may be accounted unto 

 me for righteousness that, in my indignation, I 

 hove down rocks whenever such an act would 

 interfere with the shooters." 



It will be seen by these two instances, out of 

 hundreds of others that could be quoted, what 

 suffering is caused by this demand for " Murderous 

 Millinery " as it has rightly been called ; to show 

 what destruction is wrought to supply this demand 

 35,000,000 of birds' skins are annually imported 

 into England, and as the majority of these are 

 in their breeding plumage, it means the death 

 by starvation of hundreds of thousands of nestlings 

 which call for food until death takes "them out of 

 their misery ; and they may cry until death comes, 

 for " mother " will never return to them 



