SHOCKING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1715, 21 November 1887, Page 3

SHOCKING

» Writing upon some of the evils of modern society being due more to the lack of imagination than want of hearf, the "PallAiall Gazatte," taking up the cudgels on behalf of poor birds, S'iyß :— "Take another instance — the slaughter of birds involved m fashionable finery. English women are surely not yet so dead to all the gracious and gentle m Btincts of their Bex that they would go on wearing ' Osprey ' plumes if they oould once be made to Bee the said plamea m process of preparntion. Mr Bowdlor Shsrpe, of the British Museum, describes the wretched business m the " Standard" :— The long plaraes, misnamed ' Oaprey ' by the dealers, are (he says) taken from the egrets and smaller herons, who wear them for a short time only during the nesting season. These beautiful blrda breed generally m oompanlea, or " rookeries," as they are called, and one of the prinolpal nesting places was Florida. So great, however, has been the demand for " Osprey " plumes by th 3 ladies of Europe and America that these heron rookeries have been all but destroyed by professional gunnera. Ai the long and delicate feathers are only donned during the breeding seaeon, it is at the latter time of the year th.B massaote takes place round the nests. "Cannot something be done," Mr Sharps asks, "to stop snob, wicked slaughter 1" Yes, it can. The facts oan be driven home. But only good rousing eenaationalism, and no armohair agitation, oan do that."