III. 6 



DESTRUCTION FOR PLEASURE OR 

 LUXURY 



THERE is a type of animal slaughter, widespread in most 

 countries, which has nothing of the spirit of sport, and is 

 not animated by the utilitarian element that has led to 

 most of man's destructiveness. It is notoriously exhibited 

 in the yearly massacres of birds of gay plumage, in order 

 that, at the behest of fashion, the human race may flaunt 

 their stolen plumes. What this massacre means few can 

 realize. In 1913, the last completed year before the War, 

 there were offered in the London salerooms 12,850 oz. of 

 " osprey " feathers, representing a slaughter of about 77,000 

 individuals of the harmless heron-like Egrets (Ardea egretta 

 and A. candidissima], as well as 19,125 Osprey wing quills; 

 16,211 White Crane wing quills ; quills of Bustard, 10,800, 

 and of Condor, 48,321 ; the skins of Emus, 1233, of White 

 Terns, 5321, of Crowned Pigeons, 1 1,478, and of Smyrnian 

 Kingfishers 162,750. 



The destruction for pleasure and luxury is no faddist's 

 hallucination, and it pays no regard to the rarity, interest or 

 usefulness of its quarry. 



In Scotland such revolting butchery as the tropical forests 

 witness has had no place, yet in less obvious, but scarcely 

 less deadly ways, the same craving after pleasure or luxury 

 or possession has affected some of our native animals. Three 

 types will illustrate the point the collector, the bird-catcher, 

 and the pearl-fisher. 



THE SINS OF "COLLECTORS" 



It is regrettable, but necessary, that reference should 

 have to be made to a type of destruction which has taken 

 place under the guise of the study of Nature, the fruit of an 

 inordinate desire for possession, which sets numbers before 

 real' nature study. Yet we cannot close our eyes to the fact 



