Page 157 - Our Vanishing Wild Life

EXTERMINATION FOR WOMEN'S HATS
135
MISCELLANEOUS BIRD SKINS. S CENTS EACH
Purchased by the New York Zoological Society from the Quarterly Sale in London, August, 1912
lin absolutely control the bird-killers of Venezuela, China, New Guinea. Mexico and South America. Let the word go forth that "the trade" is no longer permitted to buy and sell egret and heron plumes, skins of birds of paradise and condor feathers, and presto ! the killing industry falls dead the next moment.
Yes, indeed, members of the British Parliament: it is easily within your power to wipe out at a single stroke fully one-half of the bird slaughter for fancy feathers. It can be done just as we wiped out one- half the annual duck slaughter in wickedly-wasteful North Carolina
Thefeathertradeabsolutelydoescontrolthekillingsituation! Now, will the people of England clean house by controlling the feather trade ? If a hundred species of the most beautiful birds of the world must be exterminated for the feather trade, let the odium rest elsewhere than on the people of England.
The bird-lovers of America may rest assured that the bird-lovers of England—a mighty host—are neither careless nor indifferent regarding the wild-birds' plumage business. On the contrary, several bills have been brought before ParHament intended to regulate or prohibit the traffic, and a measure of vast importance to the birds of the world is now before the House of Commons. It is backed by Mr. Percy Alden, M.P., by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, by the Selbourne Society,andbyMr.JamesBuckland—ahostinhimself. Foryearspast that splendidly-equipped and well-managed Royal Society has waged
!