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ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 9-No. 9 



great scarcity of chrysalides. As I am only an amateur, I 

 should be pleased to hear from more experienced collectors 

 on this subject. I am glad to see that you have added an 

 Entomological Department to your already valuable publi- 

 cation as it will materially assist us in getting acquainted 

 and making exchanges.— J". A. Wright, 73 Hanover St., Bos- 

 ton, Mass. 



I take pleasure in stating for the benefit of those engaged 

 in Entomology, that T have taken (last July,) a fine specimen 

 of Iphiclides aj ax, of the form Marcellus. I never before 

 heard of one being seen so far north. I have taken many 

 fine ones in Florida, but none finer than the one taken 

 here in Michigan. I saw a number of them about here in 

 March and April of the form Walshii; and although I have 

 collected for twenty years, I never met with them before 

 until this season. — A. H. Boies, Hudson, Mich. 



Bleaching Butterflies, &c. I use two basins of wa- 

 ter, one containing weak chloride of lime and the other, one 

 or two drops of sulphuric acid for bleaching white skins, 

 grasses, feathers and butterflies. Butterflies prepared by 

 this process make exquisite subjects. for the stereopticon. — 

 Walter Hoxie, Frogmore, S. C. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



The Destruction of Birds for Millinery Purposes. 

 A Request for Facts. Editor of the Ornithologist:— 

 Sir: I have been much interested for the past year or two 

 in realms the sentimental effusions that from time to time 

 have been published in the different papers and periodicals, 

 lugubriously lamenting the destruction of birds by taxider- 

 mists and collectors. The perusal of these various articles 

 has excited my risibilities not a little, and enlisted my sym- 

 pathies for the— writers, at the exhibition of their utter 

 ignorance of the subject they were expending so much sen- 

 timent and so few facts upon. I had about brought myself 

 to believe that the sum and substance of the craze, for I can 

 call it nothing else, was that the writers thought it to be 

 " quite the thing" to launch out in print and defend the 

 "dear, sweet little songsters" that those horrid taxider- 

 mists, and awful boys were killing in such vast numbers. 

 They hoped thereby to gain an approving recognition from 

 some fair damsel or maiden aunt as great benefactors of 

 the public, sure to take high rank as newspaper correspond- 

 ents ; possibly doing as one genius did that I know of, who 

 bought a large number of the papers containing his volum- 

 inous contribution of sweet sentiment, and by aid of the 

 mail scattered them broadcast, the articles scored with car- 

 mine ink and marginal note of " a few ideas jotted down in 

 haste." These gentle idiots we could tolerate in silence, 

 but when we are awakened to the dread reality that a new 

 champion, backed by the formidable label, " U. S. National 

 Museum, Washington, D. C," arises, we really feel quite 

 " shaky," fearful that now the whole matter will be settled, 

 for the TJ. S. National Museum speaks. But our fears are 

 groundless, we find after perusing the article, for the gist of 

 the whole matter lies in the author's declaration, 'LI unhesi- 

 tatingly affirm that man does destroy far more birds than do 

 the birds of prey." Well now, Mr. Editor, that affirma- 

 tion, unhesitatingly made, as it may be. is not backed up 

 by anything in the article to show why such a declaration is 

 correct, unless it be that the writer, being a taxidermist in 

 the U. S. National Museum, ought to know and, ergo, does 

 know that the statement he makes is correct. Is he cor- 

 rect? I shall not " unhesitatingly affirm" that he is not, 

 but I want him to give something more than his simple as- 

 sertion before I can believe it. Come, Mr. Lucas, tell 

 us what insectivorous birds are so largely used for 

 millinery purposes, and something of the" number, ap- 

 proximate of course, if you can. Tell us about those boys 



who are anxious to have a collection of eggs, and about 

 what damage they do in getting them ; in fine tell us all 

 about this matter. But do not, I beg of you, fall into the 

 error of enumerating the insects '-plus their progeny," for 

 while it may be "a fact of importance," remember the 

 great poet says : 



" Little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum." 



That portion of the subject might get distracting in the 



computation, like some of Col. Sellers' imaginations. 



While there might be "millions it it," we can afford to let 



it pass and confine ourselves to the main question. 



Tell us, also, why it is that this "machinery of nature" 

 does not get out of balance if so "nicely adjusted," when 

 so great a destruction has taken place, not for the past few 

 years but from the most remote time in history ; for 

 feathers have been used from time immemorial, the beauti- 

 ful feather shawls, wraps, and head dresses of the Mexicans 

 and Peruvians for example. Give us all the light by way of 

 facts, or conclusions arrived at from certain facts well 

 established, and it may be you can convince some of us 

 sceptics that we are wroftg. At any rate, it may open a 

 door for us to show that you are mistaken, but don't I pray- 

 yon, jar our nerves by the thought that an annex to the 

 Smithsonian has entered the lists against us and demands 

 that we must receive its " unhesitating affirmation," as the 

 law and the gospel, and not be permitted to take it cum 

 grano satis. I am sure the readers of O. and O., will join 

 with me when I make the assertion that no good naturalist 

 will destroy life wantonly, but those who are studying na- 

 ture, and following her through many and devious paths in 

 search of a more intimate knowledge of her workings, do 

 not wish to be trammelled by unnecessary or unjust laws 

 passed by law makers who have only heard the whine of 

 many whose only enjoyment in life is carping at others, 

 and posing as great public benefactors, when the truth is, 

 they are notorious humbugs who only take the position 

 they do because of its bringing them a little cheap notorie- 

 ty. No one deprecates more than I the killing of our birds 

 for millinery purposes, but the truth is, I think, when the 

 matter is fully investigated that there is " a great cry over a 

 very little wool," and if naturalists would combine and pre- 

 sent the true facts to the law makers, different laws from 

 those now on the statute books would be the result, afford- 

 ing better protection to the birds, and more freedom to the 

 ardent naturalist. It is not to be wondered at that our 

 legislators, knowing but little of the true facts, and con- 

 fronted by these many self-sufficient, unsubstantiated af- 

 firmations on the one side, and an indifference upon the 

 other, have been led into making unwise laws. It is to be 

 hoped that in the near future the laws may be so amended 

 that the enthusiastic naturalist may be protected in his 

 work and the birds fully protected also. If I have not ex- 

 hausted all of your patience, when Mr. Lucas gives us the 

 light I have asked for, I will try and show the fallacy of his 

 statements. W. W. C, Boston, Mass. 



Golden-crowned Kinglet. J. P. Loose, Hagerstoun, 

 Md., writes that he found a female Golden-crown on July 

 22, and asks if this is not very rare. 



W. E. Fowler, Spartanburg, S. C. The nest and eggs you 

 send us for identification belong to the Black-throated 

 Bunting, (Spiza americana). 



Illinois Laws About Bird Collecting. W. Ingram, 

 Odin, III., asks what are the laws of Illinois about bird- 

 collecting. Will some of our correspondents answer his 

 question? 



Walter Hoxie, W. E. Saunders. We shall be glad to re- 

 ceive articles that you may think suitable. 

 Received.— Court W. Banslow ; S. R. Ingersoll. 

 Nos. 1 and 2 of " The Young Mineralogist," received. 



