The Audubon Societies 



233 



the Association by its president, Philip 

 Adelson, which shows that $2,780 was 

 paid to Benjamin F. Feiner, and $1,421 

 to James C. Sheldon, attorneys, who 

 made arguments for the Association at 

 legislative hearings." — August, page 50. 



"The affairs of the National Millinery 

 Association are in a very satisfactory 

 condition. The good-will displayed toward 

 this movement by the trade in general, is 

 remarkable, to say the least. It points to 

 the fact that the trade in general have 

 had more annoyance from the Audubon 

 activities than they care about for the 

 future." — September, page 76. 



"Certain millinery interests in this 

 city [Boston] are about to cooperate with 

 the New York dealers for the purpose of 

 checking further legislation by the Audu- 

 bon Society, in its endeavor to prohibit 

 the killing of other than song birds for 

 manufacture, and testing the law exempt- 

 ing from use the plumage of the heron and 

 the barnyard fowl. For over two years, 

 the millinery trade throughout the country 

 has been seriously affected by the laws 

 which, framed for the purpose of protect- 

 ing the song birds, have been considered 

 questionable and drastic. 



"Said a prominent Boston millinery 

 merchant: 'It is about time the millinery 

 trade of the country should cooperate and 

 help defeat some of the high-handed and 

 drastic measures that the Audubon Society 

 attempted to introduce in the State House. 

 The ban against song-birds may be all 

 right, but to include water-fowl and birds 

 of prey in the list seems ridiculous.'" — 

 September, page 94. 



" are constantly increas- 

 ing their importations of novelty effects 

 in aigrettes, goura, paradise and all the 

 other high-class novelties that are now 

 being utilized in trimming the street, 

 dress and evening hats. Whatever is de- 

 sirable in bird plumage, in fancy feathers, 

 wings and marabout, the goods are there 

 to be had when needed, at prices consistent 

 with the values that are offered." 



" report a phenomenal 



businesss in ostrich, paradise and aigrettes. 

 Their business in these staple goods is 

 larger than ever before." — September, 

 page 103. 



The Sharp-shinned Hawk Again 



In the last number of Bird-Lore, 

 Mr. Miller takes occasion to criticise 

 the Leaflet on the Sharp-shinned Hawk. 

 He says, in effect, that no doubt it is 

 necessary, in order to get protection for 

 the "beneficial" Hawks, to point out to 

 farmers and law-makers the bird-eating 

 species. This, of course, was the object 

 for which the leaflet was written. Mr. 

 Miller also says, in substance, that it seems 

 wrong that the opportunity should be used 

 to prejudice people against the Sharp- 

 shinned Hawk by calling it a murderer 

 and a convicted felon. Upon reading the 

 leaflet carefully since its publication, I 

 am inclined to admit that Mr. Miller's 

 point is well taken. Unfortunately, per- 

 haps, I did not learn that I was expected 

 to prepare this leaflet until shortly before 

 it was needed by the printer. Therefore 

 it was hastily written, and no time was 

 available for the careful revision which 

 it otherwise would have had; but the 

 matter that Mr. Miller objects to was 

 not written with the intent of prejudicing 

 anybody against the bird, but with the 

 idea of making the leaflet more reada- 

 ble. I believe that Mr. Miller does not 

 question the general accuracy of the 

 leaflet, but only the manner of stating the 

 facts. My personal attitude toward the 

 Hawk is exactly the same as his own. 

 This Hawk is one of Nature's means of 

 restricting the undue increase of other 

 birds, and preventing the perpetuation of 

 of disease, weakness, etc., by destroying 

 the sick or unfit. Nevertheless, the 

 destruction of the young of game-birds and 

 poultry, and the excessive killing of song- 

 birds by this Hawk, certainly is unfortu- 

 nate from the standpoints of the bird-pro- 

 tectionist and the game preserver, who are 

 attempting to increase the numbers of 

 birds upon their own grounds. 



Mr. Miller's contention, that the 



