248 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



who lived for many years in Venezuela, in Darien, in French 

 Guiana and in Conteste, ascertained that the breeding plumage 

 of these birds is ephemeral, and that this decoration which ap- 

 pears in July has all fallen off by October. This also takes place 

 with the Chumita, but somewhat later. During the moulting 

 season each year beautiful feathers may be seen scattered about 

 in large numbers on the bushes and under the trees in the 

 neighbourhood of the lagoons and small watercourses where 

 these birds fish daily, and which are frequently situated at a 

 considerable distance from their heronries. The natives gather 

 these feathers (which would otherwise be wasted) up by the pound 

 and sell them, consequently neither of the two species suffer any 

 detriment. When these feathers are picked up in good time they 

 are, says M. Geay, as beautiful as those taken from the killed 

 birds. Under no circumstances are they plucked from the living 

 bird. 



M. Geay assures us that the huntsmen always spare the 

 young birds which have no ornamental feathers, and that in a 

 heronry the young orphans are never abandoned, but are fed by 

 the neighbours. These birds in this matter furnish us with a 

 touching example of social solidarity. 



To manage such a source of revenue it is evident that the 

 heronries must not be depopulated by the huntsmen. Only we 

 must not admit without convincing proofs that the existence of 

 both species, distributed on so vast a scale, can be jeopardised by 

 hunting excursions conducted during a comparatively short period 

 in such restricted areas as those they affect. The conditions in 

 the Old and New World are very far from being the same, and 

 the protective measures necessary in the Old World may indeed 

 not be indispensable in the New. 



The decrease which it is thought has been ascertained is 

 more likely due to a change of domicile of the birds caused by 

 hitherto uninhabited regions having become the home of man. 

 These birds, when leaving places that had become too noisy or 

 dangerous owing to the vicinity of man, would look for some in- 

 accessible spots where their security would appear to be greater. 

 This would therefore be a particular case in a general fact, the 

 withdrawal of the wild species on the advance of man. 



The caprice of fashion can hardly be more than a very 



