No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE ORNITHOLOGIST. 247 



They employed eminent counsel to go to Washington, cir- 

 cularized the millinery trade widely, and made such an able 

 and effective camiDaign against the plumage proviso in the 

 Senate that when the subcommittee of the Senate ways and 

 means committee heard the case on May 21 it was plain that 

 the members had become prejudiced against the proviso and 

 were in favor of an amendment presented by the friends of 

 the importers, which would practically nullify the measure 

 and allow the importation of all wild birds' feathers except, 

 perhaps, those of egrets, the prohibition of w^hich many of 

 the importers were willing to concede if they could continue 

 to import all others. 



Now was begun in earnest an educational campaign in 

 behalf of tlie birds. Personal letters, circulars, newspaper 

 and magazine articles were sent "out by hundreds and thou- 

 sands showing the necessity of this legislation. Dr. William 

 T. Hornaday, director of the New York Zoological Society, 

 struck sledge-hammer blows through the press of the coun- 

 try. ]\Ir. Pearson exerted a tremendous influence through 

 the Audubon societies of the country. Meantime Mr. Oldys, 

 the father of the movement, lectured in many States and 

 wrote articles for the press. It w^as shown that if the amend- 

 ment prevailed, American birds' skins would be shipped as 

 before to London and Paris, their feathers dyed and " manu- 

 factured," and shipped back here to be sold ; that American 

 migratory birds of the LTnited States would be killed in 

 Canada, Mexico, the Antilles and Central and South Amer- 

 ica, and their feathers sold in our markets. Every argument 

 possible was brought to bear on members of the finance com- 

 mittee, but on June 17 the importers won their fight in that 

 committee which then reported a nullifying amendment, and 

 on July 11 the amendment was sent to the Senate with the 

 approval of the democratic caucus. 



Again at this juncture the Hon. George P. McLean of 

 Connecticut, who was now looked upon as the Senate leader 

 in the war for bird protection because of his magnificent 

 fight for the McLean-Weeks bill, came to the rescue and 

 helped to organize a defence of the original proviso. It was 

 arranged to have Mr. T. Gilbert Pearson of the Audubon 



