Page 142 - Our Vanishing Wild Life

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OUR VANISHING WILD LIFE
" Sixplet "
Starling
Tetras
Emerald-BreastedHummingbird. .
Blue-Throated Hummingbird
Amethyst Hummingbird ResplendentTrogon,severalspecies. CentralAmerica.
Cock-of-the-Rock Macaw
Toucan
Emu
Sun-Bird
Owl
Kingfisher Jabiru Stork Albatross
Tern, all species Gull, all species
South America. South America. South America. Australia.
East Indies.
All unprotected regions. All unprotected regions. South America.
All unprotected regions. All unprotected regions. All unprotected regions.
In order to throw a spot-light on the most recent transactions in the London wild-birds'-plumage market, and to furnish a clear idea of what is to-day going on in London, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam, I will set out in some detail the report of an agent whom I engaged to ascertain the London dealings in the plumage of wild birds that were killed espe- cially to furnish that plumage. As one item, let us take the sales in London in February, May and October, 1911, because they bring the subject well down to date. My agent's explanatory note is as follows:
"These three sales represent six months. Very nearly double this quantityissoldbythesefourfirmsinayear. Wemustalsotakeinto consideration that all the feathers are not brought to the London mar- ket, and that very large shipments are also made direct to the raw-feather dealers and manufacturers of Paris and Berlin, and that Amsterdam also getslargequantitiesfromtheWestIndies. Foryourpurpose,Ireportupon three sales, at different periods of the year 1911, and as those sales do not vary much, you will be able to judge the consumption of birds in a year."
The "aigrettes " of the feather trade come from egrets, and, being very light,itrequiresthedeathofseveralbirdstojdeldoneounce. Inmany catalogues, the word "albatross" stands for the jabiru, a nearly-exter- minatedspeciesofgiantstork,inhabitingSouthAmerica. "Rhea"often stands for vulture plumage.
If the feather dealers had deliberately attempted to form an educa- tional list of the most beautiful and the most interesting birds of the world, they could hardly have done better than they have done in the above list. If it were in my power to show the reader a colored plate of each species now being exterminated by the feather trade, he would be startled by the exhibit. That the very choicest birds of the whole avian world should be thus blotted out at the behest of vain and heart- less women is a shame, a disgrace and world-wide loss.
Locality uncertain. Europe.
Locality not determined.
. WestIndies,Cent,andS.America. West Indies, Cent, and S. America. West Indies, Cent, and S. America.