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and retail. warning it against the buying and selling at birds ior millinery purposes. The circular has been widely copied by the press oi the country, antl no doubt will have some influence upon the timid ones of the trade, The circular reads:
” ‘GENTLEMEN: The Illinois Audubon Society for the protection of birds desire to call your attention to the following extract from the Illinois Game Law, which has been in force in this state since April. 1899:
" 'SECTION 3. Any person who shall within the state kill or catch or have in his or her possession, living or dead. any wild bird, other than a game bird, English Sparrow, Crow. Crow Blackbird. or Chicken Hawk, or who shall purchase, offer or expose for sale any such wild bird after it has been killed or caught, shall. for each offense, be subject to a fine of five tlol» lars for each bird killed or caught or had in possession. living or dead. or imprisonment for ten days. or both, at the discretion of the court.
“ ‘ Public sentiment. as evidenced by the action of both state and national govern» ments, no longer warrants the use of wild birds for millinery purposes. many states besides Illinois no longer permitting their sale. Birds are an absolute necessity to man as consumers of insects and weed seeds, and cavengers along their shores,
-‘ "I‘he Illinois Audubon Society urgcsyou to comply with the law of the state. because it hopes that you will place yourself on lhc side of those who protect birds rather than of those who destroy them. and also failure to comply with the law must lay those who violate it open to prosecution.
In purchasing yourfall stock. we hope most earnestly that you will take these facts into consideration.’
“The above circttlar applies to the wild birds of the state or those of any other state. sold within the state of 1 Dis. The law was ostensibly passed to protect game birds, and to prevent the killing of game birds out 05 season. Various amendments make the law apply to any wild bird. whether it be water fowl, song bird or in \lorous bird. The members of the Millinery Merchants' Protective Associa- tiun are in accord with the law as it reads. and will not handle North American birds or foreign birds oi the same species, in the association claims that no state can legislate for the protection of birds of foreign countries not of the same species as the birds of America. Tlrcr'l (tr: myriadx of birdr [Ital are pert; in nlllz'r (nunlriu. ac/ric/r mid cruntrier areglad in be rid 0f. t/m/ are nut under [112 hm, whit}: will be imported and
Bird - Lore
whit-Ir will be paint! by lire (quam in- rpecrm, and in. which 11 duty will In paid. A: long a: [/12 United Stale: Gawernmenl cal/ens I/Ic duly 1m Silt/l impnrlalian: i! will be construed a: a liar”: m rel! Inc/t mer~ climn!ixe,mld illwill be mid unlil [Ire (curl: lierrec writer-wise.
“The press of the whole country has a mistaken idea regarding bird plumage. It assumes that everything in the shape of a feather that is used in millinery trimming is embraced in the law from which the above extract is taken, and which is similar to other state laws passed for the protection of birds and bird plumage. There are tons of feather plumage used in the manufacture of what the trade technically terms ‘Fancy Feathers,‘ much of which is the plumage of game birdsot plumage of barnyard fowl.
“Fashion has already decreed that bird plumage will obtain as an article or milli- nery ornamentation to a great extent this coming fall and winter; and. notwithstand- ing the efforts of the extremists of the Audubonsto prevent its sale, much of it will be used. The Millinery Merchants’ Pro- tective Association will aid every laudable effort to prevent the killing of native song birds. but it will brook no interference with the manufacture and sale of made birds or fancy feathers made from the feathers of barnyard fowl.”
Such sane and logical arguments as these show that it is not merely the ignorant and unreasonable that we have to combat.
The ‘ Review ’ is full of announcements of the coming reign of feathers. for which, I have said before, the law and the lady must join hands to shorten, But if these two continue to disagree, let us invoke the law by all means. as it is constitutionally more dependable.
The manner in which the bird pro~ tectionists are referred to in editorial squibs by these samejournalsissomewhntencourag» ing, for people seldom take the trouble to deride an object which in no wise troubles them; for example:
“ ‘ No intimidation' should be the watch- word of the milltnery trade from land’s end to land’s end when it comes in contact with the extremists of the Audubon societies. It was the Chicago branch of the Audubon conclave that rejected the proposition of the trade to import no birds of the same species as the North American species, provided it. the trade, would not be interfered with in disposing of such stock that it had on hand. The independent self-righteous spirit of the
