SELB0RN1ANA. 
179 
the first stanza of the “ Song by a Person of Quality, written in the year 1733,” 
since it lays down the canon that 
“ Nature must give way to Art.” 
“Another Lady Milliner (member of the Selborne Society)” entirely dis- 
approves of birds, whether real or artificial, as decorations for ladies’ headgear. 
She says : — “ I have been quite horrified to see during my visits to the wholesale 
houses the myriads of dead birds of all sizes and kinds which are exposed for 
sale. The practice seems to be increasing , instead of, as some fondly hoped, on 
the wane. In one house a large room was completely filled with little corpses. 
Putting all questions of humanity aside, I find the decoration altogether wrong 
from an artistic point of view. Birds are in most instances only beautiful when 
on the wing ; when distorted and twisted into all kinds of shapes they are some- 
times actually ugly, and certainly always out of place. Were a fashionable young 
lady to have a live bird perch on her hat she would as likely as not swoon with 
fright. I use no birds or wings, but find that feathers of poultry and game and 
ostrich feathers make up most charming hats and bonnets.” 
We hope we may be pardoned for publishing the fact that the writer of the 
foregoing letter is Mrs. Browning, of 39, North Audley Street, who did such 
good service for the Selborne Society as Hon. Secretary and Treasurer of the 
Branch at Dublin, where she has unfortunately no successor. Mrs. Browning, 
who is now, we regret to say, a widow with several young children, has adopted 
what has become a fashionable profession — that of lady milliner and dressmaker. 
Mrs. Joachim, Miss Buckton, and others of the most active supporters of the 
Selborne Society take a great interest in the success of their fellow-member, 
and have w ritten to us on the subject. From what we hear from them we would 
most cordially recommend all ladies who belong to the Selborne Society to 
consult Mrs. Browning on the subject at present under discussion. 
Of the other letters on this subject which have reached us we can only print 
the following most welcome announcement, which we have received from Miss 
Ada Smith, Hon. Secretary of the Wimbledon Branch : — “If you could find room 
in November Nature Notes, for the following little paragraph which I have seen 
in a newspaper to-day, I think it might have weight, as the example of the 
Princess of Wales is of great value. ‘ The use of feather trimming for winter 
dresses has been decreed by the magnates of fashion. It is gratifying to know in 
connection with this matter that the Princess of Wales has given orders that 
nothing need be submitted for her inspection or that of her daughters in which 
birds are used as trimming.’ ” 
With this cheering “royal message” we’ are reluctantly compelled to finish 
the debate, which has evidently had much interest for our lady readers, and for 
which we are considerably indebted to that energetic Selbornian, Miss S. P. 
Hawes, whose letter in the September number of Nature Notes gave rise 
to it. 
SELBORNIAN A. 
Mr. G-. A. Musgrave on “Selbornian Propaganda.”— In your note 
on a recent article on “ Restoration ” I see that you attribute to me, instead of 
rightly to Mr. C. Roberts, F.R.C.S., the original introduction of the protection of 
objects of antiquarian interest. In the extension of the aims of the Selborne 
Society, it has always been necessary to avoid trenching upon the sphere of older 
societies having special objects. By degrees it became possible to the Selborne 
Society to secure the sympathy of these older societies, and assure them of any 
assistance which might be possible through its increase in influential and 
numerical strength. 
I should like to take this opportunity of pointing out to many of our members, 
who do not devote themselves to enlisting other members, that our success 
depends mainly on our numerical strength, and on the extent of the area under 
our influence. A few members in a village, and, as Lord Wolseley once said to 
me, “ in every regiment ” would insure a constant and intelligent (because the 
