" you cannot with a scalpel fi?id the poeV s soul, 

 Nor yet the wild bird's song-.'' 



Edited by Mrs. Mabel Osgood Wright (President of the Audubon Society of the State of 

 Connecticut), Fairrield, Conn., to whom all communications relating to the work of the Audubon 

 and other Bird Protective Societies should be addressed. Reports, etc., designed for this department 

 should be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication. 



The Milliners Again 



There has always been a perfectly natural 

 antagonism between the millinery trade and 

 the State Audubon Societies. At the 

 present time, however, it seems probable 

 that a better understanding will be brought 

 about by the broader-minded and more con- 

 servative element in both bodies. 



The general feather trade, legally, if not 

 ethically, was for so long a time legitimate 

 that, like the slave trade, it could not be 

 abolished without friction. There are those 

 in the trade who would not hesitate to vio- 

 late the law if possible, but there are others 

 who honestly desire the protection of infor- 

 mation, that they may continue their busi- 

 ness in accordance with the new laws, and 

 it is these that bird protectors should be 

 willing to meet in a spirit of fairness. 



The agreement between the members of 

 the Millinery Merchants' Protective Asso- 

 ciation of New York and the Audubon 

 Society of the State of New York, printed 

 below, is the initial step in this effort for 

 mutual understanding, and we urge all the 

 state societies to give this agreement their 

 serious consideration; the societies having 

 concurred in it at the date of writing being 

 New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. 



It is, of course, conceded that the most 

 satisfactory way to kill the traffic in 

 plumage would be to stop the demand; but 

 next to this in importance comes the regu- 

 lating of the supply in accordance with the 

 well-digested laws now prevalent in many 

 states; and we should not imperil our in- 

 fluence as logical bird protectors, or boy- 

 cott legitimate industry, by raising a hue and 

 cry at the use of the feathers of food birds 

 for millinery purposes. Our business is to 

 make sure that only such feathers are 

 marketed as the law allows, therefore 

 sincere cooperation on the part of the best 

 class of feather traders can but be mutually 



advantageous, for they already recognize 

 that any false step on the part of their less 

 scrupulous associates will simply serve to 

 their own disadvantage, by fanning the flame 

 of the torch of public opinion, which, backed 

 by legislative authority, is now well ablaze; 

 thus, by working for themselves they coope- 

 rate with us. — M. O. W. 



Agreement Between the Members of the 

 Millinery Merchants' Protective Asso- 

 ciation of New York and the Audubon 

 Society of the State of New York. 



The members of the Millinery Merchants' 

 Protective Association hereby pledge them- 

 selves as follows : 



To abstain from the importation, manu- 

 facture, purchase or sale of Gulls, Terns, 

 Grebes, Humming-birds and song birds. 



To publish monthly in the Millinery 

 Trade Review, a notice informing the mil- 

 linery trade in general that it is illegal to 

 buy, sell or deal in Gulls, Terns, Grebes, 

 Humming-birds or song birds, and that no 

 means will be spared to convict and punish 

 all persons who continue to deal in the said 

 prohibited birds. 



To notify the millinery trade by printed 

 notices, as to what plumage can be legally 

 used. 



To mail printed notices to all dealers in 

 raw materials, importers and manufacturers 

 of fancy feathers, and the millinery trade in 

 general, that all violations of the law will 

 be reported to the proper authorities. 



It is further agreed on the part of the 

 Millinery Merchants' Protective Association, 

 that on and after January i, 1904, the im- 

 portation, manufacture, purchase or sale of 

 the plumage of Egrets or Herons, and of 

 American Pelicans of any species, shall 

 cease, and the said birds shall be added to 

 the list of prohibited species mentioned 

 above. 



It is understood and agreed, that the 

 restrictions referred to in this agreement as 

 to Gulls, Terns, Grebes, Herons and Hum- 

 ming-birds, shall apply to the said birds 

 irrespective of the country in which they 

 may have been killed or captured. 



The Audubon Society of New York 

 State, on its part, hereby agrees as follows: 



(104) 



