THE ORNITHOLOGISTS’ AND OOLOGISTS’ SEMI-ANNUAL. 29 
they were taken from those slaughtered for the market? Impossible. 
One human resemblance, living near the sea-coast of South Caro- 
lina, supplied, for a New York milliner, three thousand Roseate Terns ; 
so that locality, once resoundant with happy parental cries of this grace- 
ful “Sea Swallow,” is silent. 
Among the lagoons of the Southern States, hunters from day to day 
kill scores of the Great White Herons, the Spoonbills and the Ibises 
simply because they possess a few plumes. ‘The loss of these species 
would be a truly national loss. Verily, they are doomed, from the 
plebian Sparrow to the graceful Swan. 
Third, our Amateur Naturalists. Many of the present embryotic 
Ornithologists believe that in order to become Audubons or Bairds, 
they must slaughter indiscriminately every species met, and every 
nest must be robbed, under the transparent veil of science. A prom- 
inent Ornithologist in our state asks, in speaking of shooting Herons 
for their plumes, whether it makes any real difference whether they 
are shot in the fall migrations, or in their colonies or heronries with 
nests of eggsor young. Plainly the difference is too obvious to enum- 
erate. 
A true Ornithologist is a bird’s best friend ; his aim should be to 
perpetuate every species, destroying their enemies rather than foster- 
ing them. ‘The inspection of a collector’s cabinet resulted as follows : 
six hundred insectivorous and graminivorous skins, while only thirty- 
eight specimens represented the order Raptores. A fair sample of 
one’s work. 
Let us all then, during the approaching season, not show too much 
greediness, and above all do not make marks of every bird found, 
simply for the sport of killing them. 
This law alone would save thousands every year. 
