almost destroyed, hundreds of old birds having been killed, and thousands of eggs 
broken. I do not know of a more horrible and brutal exhibition than that which 
I witnessed here.” .... [And so on, and so on.] 
12 th May .—We found in camp Mr. Frank Johnson, who is a professional 
“bird plumer.” Snowy Heron, American Egret, and Reddish Egret brought the 
highest prices, but he killed almost anything that wore feathers. He said he 
wished there was some law to protect the birds, at least during the breeding time, 
but added that as everybody else was ‘pluming’ he had made up his mind that he 
might have his share. He was killing birds and taking plumes now for Mr. J. H. 
Ratty, of New York City, who employed many men along the entire Gulf Coast 
from Cedar Keys to Key West, particularly for Herons, Spoonbills, and shewy- 
birds. He told me of the enormous bree ding places that had formerly been the 
homes of the birds of this region. Now most of them were entirely deserted, and 
the number still resorted to yearly becoming smaller. “It was easy to find 
thousands of birds five or six years back, where absolutely none now existed.” 
My own observation leads me to agree with this statement, but in fact the destruction 
must have been greater than can be realized. 
Extirpation or Pelican colony by Le Chevallier. — 80 or 100 pairs; he killed 
180 of them ; the young, three weeks old, were left to starve. 
13 th May. —Saw at north entrance of Matlacha Pass, among a great pile of 
other birds that had been recently killed and their plumes removed, twelve Ardea 
pealii (white phase of Reddish Egret), easily recognisable, having only skin on part 
of back, etc., taken off. 
20 th May. —Again met Mr. Wilkinson, who had been up Myiakka lakes, 
where he did not meet with much success ; birds had been so persistently hunted 
as to become wild. Seventy-five plumes only, mostly of Snowy Heron. 
Q.ith May .—Mr. Batty’s schooner anchored within 200 feet of us ; he was down 
the beach, shooting. They had blenches of Wilson’s Plover (breeding), Least Terns, 
and various kinds of Sandpipers. Called on Mr. Batty and learned something of 
his business. 
25 th May. —Two of his men were killing Wilson’s Plovers, Least Terns, and 
any other small species that came in their way. “The Least Terns are particularly 
in demand in the hat business, and Mr. Batty paid 10 or 15 cents, for each in the 
flesh. All owls, particularly the Barred Owl, are desirable. The feathers of 
these, as well as of hawks, are bleached by processes that Mr. Batty described to 
me, and used for hats and other decorations. One of the employes told me they 
had left a party below where they were killing the same kind of birds, and that 
Mr. Batty was constantly trading with native and other gunners for plumes and 
round and flat skins of all desirable birds. Not less than sixty men were working 
on the Gulf Coast for Mr. Batty in this way. From time to time I picked up these 
facts, and / have been careful to underrate rather than over-estimate the destruction 
going on from this single source. I have been able through parties working at 
various points between this and Cedar Keys to substantiate very fully these 
statements. 
26M May. —This morning we started north again, leaving the party of plume 
hunters still killing beach-birds and Least Terns. 
27 th May. —Mr. Frank Higel told me the same story of extermination I had 
already heard so many times—two large “rookeries” of Herons, where we were 
now anchored, but broken up by plume hunters, and it was impossible to 
find any breeding or roosting in this vicinity. 
29 th May. —Sarasota—All birds killed off by plume hunters. 
[Similar sickening details follow.] 
“It is scarcely necessary to draw any conclusions or inferences. This great 
and growing evil speaks for itself. I have the name and addresses of some 50 
dealers in various towns in Florida and the principal cities of the country. 
Merchants in New York and other centres are buying every month the skins and 
plumes of Florida birds. The price paid for such material, notwithstanding the 
efforts made to create sympathy for the birds, and a feeling against using the 
feathers for hats and other decorative purposes, is each year becoming higher, 
showing how great is the demand and how profitable the traffic to these men- 
milliners.” 
^ocietg for tl)e protection of Ipirtf*. 
President- Her Grace the Duchess of Portland, 
Vice-President , Chairman of Committee, 
and lion. Sec. for Croydon Branch, 
Mrs. E. Phillips, 
11, Morland Road, Croydon. 
Hon. Treasurer, 
and Hon . Sec. for Bayswater Branch, 
Mias C. V. Hall, 
11, Morland Road, Croydon. 
Hon. Secretary, Mrs. F. E. Lemon, Redhill, Surrey. 
Copies of Leaflet 2d. per doz., or 113 per 100, post free, also Cards of Membership, 
can be obtained f rom the ladies whose addresses are given above. 
