368 



THE OOLOGlST. 



fashiou papers that the wholesale 

 destruction of birds for millinery pur- 

 poses has again been resumed. 



For the past few years, through the 

 efforts of the Audubon society and 

 others, the wearing of birds for perso- 

 nal adornment (?) had practically ceas- 

 ed, but now this dreaded fashion is 

 again being brought into vogue by a 

 number of leading milliners. 



The accumulation of bird skins has 

 been going on for a couple of years or 

 more by dealers of forethought, who 

 have been waiting patiently the time 

 when they would again reap a harvest 

 from their store of skins. 



Early last summer [1893J a taxider- 

 mist from Poughkeepsie, N. Y. told me 

 that a milliner from New York city had 

 called upon him a few weeks before, 

 wishing to make arrangements with 

 him to collect that summer, five hund- 

 red dozen birds of bright plumage; and 

 what was equally astonishing this milli- 

 ner was inti oduced to the taxidermist 

 by one of the leading professors of Vas- 

 sar College. 



The October Auk in speaking of the 

 destruction of birds for this "absurd 

 craze for hat decoration composed of 

 bird skins," says, " * * * Thus a 

 no less respectable fashion journal than 

 '■Harpers Bazar' in its issue of Aug. 18th 

 last, in an article devoted to 'New Hats 

 and Bonnets,' gives the following delec- 

 table information to its readers, with- 

 out a woi'd of protest or lament, under 

 the subheading 'Birds and Wings.' 

 i * * * Blackbirds prevail, and are 

 poised in pairs, with beaks meeting 

 lovingly, their wings aud tails pointing 

 straight to give the shape of a large 

 bow, and often resting on a still larger 

 bow of liberty satin ribbon of many 

 loops. This happy arrangement is on 

 the front of small bonnets, while large 

 hats have a second pair [of birds] across 

 the back, resting on loops or chaux of 

 ribbon below the upturned brim. Sin- 

 gle birds perch on the front edge of 



the brim of round hats, or nest in the 

 large ruche that surrounds the crown — 

 the nesting or brooding bird is not con- 

 sidered so effective as the newly lighted 

 bird with wings still iu the air. The 

 dear little blackbirds have been touch- 

 ed with color by French milliners, who 

 hesitate at nothing. They are given 

 throat and breast of flint blue, auber- 

 gine, or emerald green, and their raven 

 wings are also covered on one side 

 with these colors. 



Small bluebirds and others of pale 

 yellow or pink are giore with jet along 

 their slender wings and paiuted beaks. 

 Large chaux made of feathers or stiff 

 quills pourde with jet are effective 

 trimming's." 



It is indeed deeply to be lamented 

 that the cruel fad had again been taken 

 up — or rather forced upon the bonnet 

 wearing sex. Every one who cares for 

 the birds and knows the consequences 

 that would follow their extermination, 

 should feel it their duty to put forth 

 every effort to abate and discourage 

 this barbarous fashion. 



WilliamS. Johnson, 



Boonville, N. Y. 



Seven Birds from Six Eggs. 



Win. Hencke has a canary that takes 

 the lead. She hatched seven birds 

 from six eggs. This seems like one of 

 William's hunting stories, but it's a fact. 

 One of the six eggs was double yolked. 

 The two hatched from this egg are 

 quite a little smaller than the rest but 

 are strong and healthy and will doubt- 

 less survive. They are now two weeks 

 old. Six eggs are a large complement 

 for a canary but to hatch seven birds 

 from them takes the lead. The next 

 nest Mr. Hencke expects two from each 

 egg- 



[The above we clip from the New 

 London (Wis.) Press, and as to its reli- 

 ability we need only add that the Press 

 is edited and published by Chas. F. 

 Carr.— Ed.] 



