38 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



all the plumes of the various egrets and small eastern 

 herons, with a few of the common heron (A. cinerid). 

 Of birds-of-paradise from New Guinea there were 

 3255, chiefly P.apodaj of Impeyan pheasants from 

 the Himalayas, 648 ; of Indian rollers ("jays"), no 

 fewer than 3913, with also a large number of East 

 India pigeons (wings), and pittas, Indian owls, 

 parrots, and jungle cocks. One firm catalogued 

 469 Chinese mandarin ducks. The remainder of 

 the birds were mostly from America, comprising 

 52,628 humming-birds, and numerous cardinals, 

 tanagers, trogans, toucans, parrots, etc. There 

 were also a large quantity of wing quills from 

 pelicans, swans, geese, turkeys, and eagles. 



At the June sale (June 14th) the packages of 

 " osprey " feathers numbered 165. There were 1335 

 birds-of-paradise, 10 cases of peacock feathers 

 (about 100 lbs. to the case), 13 packages of quills, 

 and 87 cases of various birdskins. The last-named 

 included, as usual, many humming birds, tanagers, 

 Impeyan and argus pheasants ; owls (one firm 

 offered 3674) ; bronze ibis (skins and wings) ; 

 mandarin ducks, etc. A less familiar feature of 

 the sale were the quantities of Japanese teal, one 

 firm cataloguing 7200 pairs of these wings. 



It is a common complaint that the clergy rarely 

 preach or speak on the subject of inhumanity to 

 animals. Occasionally, however, there is a wel- 

 come exception to the rule, and among those not 

 afraid to speak straight is the Rev. R. H. Wilson, 

 Cheltenham College Missioner at Nunhead ; his 

 " Letter about Birds" in the May number of his 

 parish magazine has been, we understand, copied, 

 by permission, into several other local periodicals. 



The chimney-swallow, whose decrease has 

 troubled English observers of late years, is being 

 sold by hundreds in New York shops for millinery. 

 Specimens of the birds have been sent from 

 America to this Society, and prove to be young 

 birds, no doubt killed in France or Italy on their 

 first migration. 



Mr. J. W. R. Clarke writes to the Sydney Morn- 

 ing Herald (March 9, 1904) : At the last meeting 

 of the Animals' Protection Society special attention 

 was drawn to the destruction of beautiful Australian 

 birds for the English markets. Birds-of-paradise 

 (probably lyre birds are meant), bronze-wing 

 pigeons, jays, kingfishers, parrots, and owls were 

 rapidly disappearing through this agency, although 

 all protected by Act No. 26, 1901. 



Mr. Frank Chapman, editor of Bird-Lore (U.S.A.) 

 has just completed a tour of observation through 

 parts of Florida, once thronged with plume-bearing 

 herons and paroquets, and reports (Bird-Lore, 

 June, 1904) :— 



" The plume bird, or snowy heron, is p v actically ex- 

 tinct. Not one was observed or reported. The white 

 egret exists in small numbers ; not more than a dozen 

 birds were seen, and only a single rookery was heard of. 

 News of its formation was accompanied by the statement 

 that it had been ' shot out.' This, in the writer's opinion, 

 is the certain fate of "every rookery of aigrette-bearing 

 herons, unless an armed warden be detailed to guard it 

 day and night. No law will ever prevent robbery, if 

 the temptation to thieve be sufficiently great ; and with 

 herons' plumes worth twice their weight in gold, there 

 are hundreds of ex-plumers waiting to loot any rookery 

 which becomes large enough to make the returns worth 

 the risk of prosecution." 



" IMITATION OSPREYS " AGAIN. 



Roused by a widely-circulated statement from 

 Professor Ray Lankester respecting the sham 

 artificial osprey, an anonymous correspondent re- 

 vived in the columns of a London newspaper* the 

 old story that such imitations are to be had, and 

 that " the difference in price is a guarantee against 

 extensive substitution." The secretary of this So- 

 ciety thereupon wrote in reply, giving once again 

 the facts of the case, and asking once again for the 

 address of any factory where " artificial ospreys " 

 are made. A " special " correspondent responded 

 on behalf of the trade, with much show of cir- 

 cumstance and knowledge, but with the customary 

 vagueness, that " over a thousand hands " are 

 employed in the business, and that " the largest 

 manufacturer of ospreys in London had at once 

 displayed a selection of real imitations " to him, 

 some being made from grasses, some from cotton, 

 and some from a " secret substance " (delightful 

 words and most convenient !). As usual, no name 

 or address gave evidence of good faith to this 

 statement ; but the address of the " largest manu- 

 facturer," etc., was courteously supplied to the 

 Society, who thereupon wrote to the firm, asking 

 for a specimen or specimens of the artificial ospreys 

 made and sold by them, with the prices. On June 

 6th a memorandum from the firm was received : 

 " Your letter to hand and same shall have attention." 

 From that day to this no other reply has been 

 received at 3, Hanover Square. The conclusion 

 is obvious : when scientific examination is to be 

 anticipated, the "largest manufacturer," etc., is un- 

 able to fake up or obtain even one specimen of the 



* St. James's Gazette, May 12, 1504. 



