Destruction of Wild Life in South America 



261 



sixty tons. Next day I purchased a copy of the bulletin giving the statistics 

 of Argentine imports and exports. I found that 34,206 kilos, over thirty-four 

 tons of Rhea feathers had been exported during the first six months of the 

 fiscal year. Later, while strolling through the zo5logical gardens of Buenos 

 Aires, I came upon two splendid specimens of the Rhea insolently blocking 

 my path, and I wanted to congratulate these fortunate individuals upon 

 having escaped the general massacre. 



The markets of Buenos Aires, at this season, were abundantly supplied 

 with Solitary and Pectoral Sandpipers, and Greater and Lesser Yellow-legs. 

 Tinanion of two species (N. maculosa and Colopersus elegansis) were offered 

 by the barrel and basketful. In Asuncion, Paraguay, small birds, including 

 Tanagers and Ovenbirds were occasionally on sale, plucked, though in small 

 numbers. 



Several months later I was spending a short time among the Portuguese 

 planters on the Lower Madeira and Solimoens, where are found the impene- 

 trable swamps interspersed with shallow lagoons. It was the beginning of the 

 nesting season, and Herons were donning their fatal nuptial garments. An 

 agent had visited the locality a short time before, offering to buy all aigrettes 

 collected at three contos of reis (about $1,000) per kilo (about 2 lbs.). Judg- 



PORTUGUESE PLANTERS' HUT ON THE SOLIMOENS WHERE LARGE 



NUMBERS OF EGRETS ARE KILLED 



Photographed by L . E. Miller 



ing by the numbers of the birds as I had seen them, and they were 

 not extremely abundant here, I was calculating how many shots would be 

 required to secure enough birds to produce two pounds of aigrettes, and if the 

 high price of ammunition in Brazil would make it a profitable occupation for 

 the natives. The birds seemed fairly safe. My swarthy Portuguese friend 



