SELBORNIANA 
147 
each bird raw and bleeding. The smouldering embers of a 
camp fire bore witness of the recent presence of the plume 
hunter. Under a bunch of grass a dead heron was discovered, 
from whose back the plumes had been torn. The ground was 
still moist with its blood, showing that death had not long 
before taken place. The dirt had been beaten smooth with 
its wings, its neck was arched, the feathers on its head 
were raised and its bill was buried in the blood-clotted feathers 
of its breast, where a gaping wound showed that the leaden 
missile had struck. It was an awful picture of pain. Sorely 
wounded this heron had crawled away, and after enduring 
hours of agony had died the victim of a foolish passion. 
Young herons had been left by scores in the nests to perish 
from exposure and starvation. These little sufferers, too weak 
to rise, reached their heads over the nest and faintly called for 
the food which the dead mothers could never bring. 
“ ‘ It is bad to see such sights from any cause, but when 
all this is done merely to gratify fashionable women’s vanity, it 
becomes still worse. These are but instances of the destruction 
of bird life. Unless something is done to stop this awful 
slaughter it is only a question of a few years before the 
herons, not only of Florida, but of the whole world, will be 
exterminated. 
“ ‘ Women who know of the cruelty necessary to procure 
the feathers they wear on their hats should stop wearing them, 
and exert their influence to make other women see how cruel 
and wicked they are. May God’s blessing rest with all who 
strive against this sin. l\Ian is either the greatest protector or 
the greatest destroyer of birds.’ 
“ The excuse, often now given, that the plumes sold are 
artificial, is in many cases, as was shown by Sir William 
Flower, a monstrous fiction. Even by wearing plumes that 
are genuinely artificial a bad example is set, and an evil 
fashion kept in vogue. 
“ People also tell you that in some places the shed egret 
plumes are to be picked up in handfuls when the birds are 
moulting. This may be so, but that is not how the hunters 
and dealers obtain their wares, for they are content with nothing 
less than the plumes in the best condition, which is at the actual 
breeding season. 
“It is not without significance that making known these 
facts has recently resulted in an order being issued from the 
War Office commanding the disuse of the egret plumes hitherto 
worn by officers of certain British regiments. 
“ But it is not only the beautiful white egret. There are 
scores and hundreds of the loveliest known species that are in 
the same case ; for a nuptial dress is well nigh universal in this 
class of creature. 
“ During the last few years the birds of paradise have been 
pursued so relentlessly that there is a great fear of their total 
