27 



Quills. 



Among the bundles of quills are those of Eagle and Hawk and 

 Crane, Pelican and Osprey, and Bustard ; the handsome Soldier 

 or Jabiru Storks come in as " Albatross " ; the " Vulture " quills 

 are neither vulture nor quills, being the body feathers of the 

 Rhea, the wild Ostrich of South America. 



Evidence from Sale-room and Catalogue. 



Shortly after the Importation of Plumage Prohibition Bill had 

 passed through the House of Lords in 1908, the trade stopped 

 detailed advertisements of their sales, and ceased to publish any 

 reports on them in the " Public Ledger." They now contend that 

 figures from catalogues are misleading, as the same consignment 

 of birds may be offered many times. Humming-birds, which 

 continue to appear in cratefulls, have been unsaleable, according 

 to Mr. Downham, for twenty years ; yet at the sale on February 

 7th, 1911, one firm catalogued no fewer than 20,820 of these birds. 

 In 1905 a different firm put up 12,500. If this is the supply in 

 the market of birds which are not wanted and not used, and have 

 not been wanted for twenty years, it is difficult to imagine the 

 reckless slaughter which must be perpetrated and the numbers 

 that must be killed of birds which are in active demand. 



"Not Wanted." 



The fact that a particular bird is not wanted for the time being 

 is no proof of its safety. As in the case of the Grebe, it may 

 suddenly be again declared " fashionable." It is stated also by 

 Mr. Downham, that some birds are brought into the market merely 

 as an experiment. They are killed, not because there is a demand 

 for them, but on the chance that the demand may be created. 

 This again shows the danger in which every species of finely- 

 plumaged birds stands until legislation interferes. 



Visitors (there are very few, and they are not welcomed) to the 

 Cutler Street warehouse can see for themselves the piles of brilliant 

 bodies of Trogons from Guatemala, Cocks-of-the-rock from 

 Guiana, Toucans, with their wonderful beaks sliced through to 

 form a " handle " for the adjacent breast-plumes ; Orioles, bright- 

 hued Finches, Tanagers, Crowned Pigeons from New Guinea, 



