148 
NATURE NOTES 
extermination. The bird of paradise does not reach maturity 
until he is four or five years old, which means that the supply 
is comparatively very limited. It is only the male bird who 
at the breeding season produces those long soft feathers known 
as ‘ paradise plumes ’ ; but the skins and heads of the females 
are used for trimmings also, and last year the number of female 
birds — mothers torn from their young — far out-numbered the 
males which were imported into this country. Quite apart 
from the cruelty exercised by the hunters, I am sure none of us 
could wish to be parties to the destruction of this beautiful bird, 
which is found nowhere outside of the Malayan and New Guinea 
region, and has not its peer in any other country, and which is 
one of the glories of creation. 
‘‘ I wish I had time to enumerate and describe the myriad 
brilliant birds which the imperious demands of women are 
causing to vanish; — humming birds, trogons, kingfishers, 
parrots, tanagers, orioles, Impeyan pheasants, Victoria crowned 
pigeons, grebes, and many others. Even if we never have an 
opportunity of seeing these wonderful creatures, that is no reason 
why we should not take a deep interest in them and delight to 
hear and think of them, for are we not citizens of the world 
and should we not, therefore, every one of us, feel the dignity 
and pride of possession in all that this marvellous world contains, 
and feel it our duty to do what we can to preserve these wonders 
of nature, which man can and does so easily and ruthlessly 
destroy, but which he can never again create ? Says Mr. W. H. 
Hudson, ‘ What an impoverished nature and earth future 
generations will inherit from us ! God’s footstool, yes ; but with 
all the shining golden threads picked out of its embroidery. Some 
knowledge will survive among our remote descendants of the 
wonderful and brilliant forms of bird life that are now passing 
away, and with it some knowledge of how it was destroyed in 
the space of a few decades for the gratification of a detestable 
vanity. They will, I fancy, think less kindly of their cultured 
Ruskin-reading nineteenth century ancestors, than of those very 
much more distant progenitors who had some shocking customs, 
but who spoilt nothing.’ 
“ This picture is no exaggeration. I have mentioned figures 
to show the vast quantities of ornamental plumaged l)irds 
slaughtered annually. The destruction is almost incredible; 
but of course when the old are killed and the young are left to 
die of starvation, extinction is only a matter of time. 
“ Besides beautiful tropical creatures, birds familiar to us all 
are killed in countless numbers. Fancy killing the robin red- 
breast to trim a ball dress ! Fancy permitting the lovely 
swallows to be destroyed that their wings may trim a woman’s 
hat ! 
“ Would that every woman would take to heart Browning’s 
incisive reproach — 
