44 



of a turkey," he could be picked out by any experienced man a 

 hundred yards away, and the females were never shot. It is an 

 elementary fact regarding Herons and Egrets that both sexes 

 have these nuptial plumes. The writer further gave, as con- 

 clusive proof of his assertions, that he had met two Frenchmen 

 who said they had picked up about 100 Ibs. of feathers each. 

 Doubtless these were Mr. Leon Laglaize and M. Mayeul Grisol. 

 For a while nothing more was heard of picked-up feathers, 

 or of domesticated Egrets ; but the moulted plume, as a definite 

 trade asset, was practically introduced at the time of the House 

 of Lords Committee, when members of the trade, who had no 

 personal knowledge of South America, diverted attention from 

 Florida and from the " artificial " osprey to this line of defence. 



Mr. Leon Laglaize. 



Shortly afterwards the country was flooded with a circular 

 headed " Importation of Plumage Bill. How the Osprey feathers 

 are procured." It purported to have been received from a Mr. 

 Leon Laglaize (who was described as "an eminent ornithologist 

 and explorer ") ; but by whom received was not stated. Mr. 

 Laglaize is believed to be a collector and buyer for a European 

 feather-firm. A well-known member of the principal French 

 Ornithological Society writes to the R.S.P.B., under date Feb. 

 7th, 1911 : " Do you know anything about Mr. Laglaize, who has, 

 I understand, published a book in England in support of the 

 plumage trade? They say that he is a traveller; maybe, but 

 also a plume-collector." 



The Heron's Nest. 



Mr. Laglaize's statements have been already referred to (p. 17), 

 and will be further dealt with presently. Among them is the 

 following : 



" After the breeding season, when the young ones leave their nests, the 

 abandoned nests are searched and a valuable amount of feathers is collected 

 there ; the feathers have been skilfully rolled in to furnish and soften the 

 interior of the nest. These nest feathers are of the best kind, for they have 

 been pulled off by the bird itself before laying the eggs." 



All the Heron tribe, as naturalists are aware, make loosely con- 

 structed nests of dead sticks, and never use feathers for a lining 

 That they should be described as plucking out their own back 



