THE OOLOGIST. 



Now, another very moderate estimate would 

 allow at least two birds to each pair for 

 natural increase so that 3,000,0(10,000 must 

 be destroyed annually, by all causes in 

 order that the bird fauna shall remain 

 at its present proportions; in other words, 

 until that are destroyed there will be no 

 decrease in numbers. Now, the proportion 

 destroyed for millinery purposes taken at 

 Mr. Aliens estimate of 5,000,000, and al- 

 lowing another 5,000,000 for South Amer- 

 ica, Canada and, Mexico, and the West 

 Indies, would be as 10 to 3,000, or as 1 to 

 300; the other 290 meeting their death from 

 other causes. In other words, a . death 

 mortality rate of 3^ per 1,000, while a rate 

 of 20 to 25 per 1,000 in the human species 

 excites no comment whatever. 



"The actual rate in the birds is manifest- 

 ly much less than that above stated, since 

 a section of the country with only 200 

 birds to the square mile would probably be 

 the rare exception rather than a frequent 

 occurence. Be it noted, furthermore, that 

 the constant demand for novelty to which 

 the fashions are due prohibits a continu- 

 ance of even this low mortality rate for 

 many years in succession. 



c 'Figures aside, however, it is a self-evi- 

 dent fact that all species of animals and 

 plants require checks to their maximum 

 rate of increase. (The human population 

 of the United States, at the ordinary rate 

 of increase, would number four to every 

 square yard of the earth's surface in less 

 than 700 years. ) 



"Now, of the many natural checks upon 

 the increase of birds, some are removed by 

 civilization, others are increased. Then, 

 again, there is even a higher factor that 

 governs the increase or decrease of differ- 

 ent species --which is unknown to us ex- 

 cept by its effects, namely, the inherent 

 capacity of the species itself to increase. 

 As an instance of the disappearnce of a 

 species without known cause we have the 

 case of our own paroquet, a bird abundant 

 in large flocks throughout the Ohio Valley 

 in the first quarter of the century, noted by 

 Audubon in 1831, as rapidly diminishing 

 in numbers; by Ortland and othars, in 



1838, as only met with irregularly, and as 

 straggling flocks. "While we have no record- 

 ed date of their appearance in this State 

 between 1840 and 1862, when a single flock 

 of stragglers were noted in Columbus. 

 Througout their range we have the same 

 accounts of constantly diminishing num- 

 bers, as we had before the days of bird 

 wearers, taxidermists, or pot hunters, or 

 ornithological collectors in the West. In 

 accordance with this capacity some species 

 are to-day increasing, while others are dy- 

 ing out, much as the did in former geologic 

 times before the human biped made his 

 appearance ; and man to-day is the only one 

 check upon species in nature's vast game of 

 chess, and not by any means so important 

 a one as he is apt to imagine. 



"To sum up, then, the practical influence 

 of bird wearing upon our fauna, we may 

 note; 



"First- — That the North American birds 

 used in greatest numbers are- gulls, terns, 

 herons, and others, not song birds, nor 

 species beneficial to the agriculturist. 



"Second — That our most desirable and 

 familiar song birds, such as thrushes, wrens, 

 greenlets, finches, are in limited demand, on 

 account of their generally plain colors. 



"Third — That of the brilliantly plumaged 

 birds a vast majority come from South 

 America and other foreign countries. 



"Fourth — That probably enough of 

 shrikes, jays, crows, and other predatory 

 species are destroyed to more than compen- 

 sate for the for the few* song birds actually 

 killed by man for all purposes. 



"Fifth — If all were song birds and equal- 

 ly beneficial, the reduction in numbers from 

 this cause would be inappreciable in its 

 effect on the fauna of the country at large. 



"Coming down to the consideration of 

 the birds of our own locality and surround- 

 ing territory, Mr. Dury has given us a very 

 interesting reference to the abundance of 

 the wild pigeon in this region 25 years ago, 

 and has noted their scarcity at the present 

 day. The last great flight of these birds 

 that I remember here was in the fall of 18G5, 

 when the air was darkened with them for 

 the greater part of two days. Now their 



