SELBORNfANA 
107 
M. Miihlberg, Mr. E. A. Nash, Mr. M. H. Poole, Mr. J. Walker, 
Mr. K. Marshnian Wattson, Mr. Bernard Weaver, and Mrs. 
Wilfred Mark Webb. 
The performance of music by Mr. Franz Zeidler’s Bijou 
Orchestra was much appreciated ; the grand piano was kindly 
lent by Messrs. J. J. Hopkinson. The glass cases were provided 
by the courtesy ol Messrs. Dormer and Humphries, while the 
refreshments, supplied by Messrs. Moon, Field and Co., were 
admirably served and met with general approval. 
The following ladies and gentlemen formed the Conversazione 
Committee: Mrs. Percy Myles, Professor Boulger, Dr. Dudley 
Buxton, Messrs. J. Shaw Crompton, R.I., J. F. Davie, C. M. 
Miihlberg, E. .-\. Nash, H. H. Poole, J. Walker and the Honorary 
Secretary. 
SELBORNIANA. 
Murderous Millinery. — The Spring number of Bird Notes 
and Netvs, the official organ of the Royal Society for the Protec- 
tion of Birds, presents its readers with the returns of six plume- 
sales held at the Commercial Sale-rooms, iMincing Lane, in 
1906. According to the Society’s publication the numbers 
catalogued of Birds-of-Paradise and of packages of “ Osprey ” 
feathers were as follows : — 
February 
Osprey Feathers 
Packages. 
327 
Birds-of- 
Paradise. 
8,508 
April 
260 
7.188 
June 
289 
1 1,841 
August ... 
242 
3.948 
October . . . 
... 485 
5.700 
December 
26s 
3.600 
The returns are not pleasant reading for the bird protector. 
We are told that, “ apart from Egrets, Herons and Birds-of- 
Paradise, the notable features of the sales were the enormous 
numbers of Sea-Swallows (Terns) and Kingfishers on sale, and 
the growing consignments of quill-feathers from Eagles, Buz- 
zards, Pelicans, Albatrosses, Swans, and other birds. Ladies 
are usually under the impression that a ‘ quill’ must be a harm- 
less ornament obtained from the farmyard. The trade in quill- 
feathers was even more remarkable at the first sale held on 
February 12 of the present year, when one firm alone catalogued 
some 15,000 of Albatross quill-feathers, and also a very large 
number of ‘ Osprey-wing quills,’ while another feature was the 
7,000 heads and crests of the Crowned Pigeon on the market.” 
It is needless to make any comment on these discreditable 
facts, and one can only appeal to the gentler sex to refrain from 
wearing such ornaments of beauty which necessitate the killing 
and final extermination of some of the most rare and beautiful 
birds. 
