BIRD LIFE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 269, 6 August 1908, Page 7

BIRD LIFE.

FASHION'S FEATHERED VICTIMS. (BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT ) Molbourne, August 5. The Federal Government ~ has promised to tako action .in tho direction of prohibiting tho importation and exportation of certain skins and plumago, in order to prevent the wholesalo destruction of birds at tho call of fashion.

AN AUSTRALASIAN TRAFFIC. The Commonwealth has no power to check tho killing of birds—that is a State matterbut may bo able £o effect its purpose through prohibition of export. Australasia is largely drawn on for feathered victims. Tho London plume sales for last year show that 2337 packages of "ospreys" and 28,300 lyre-birds—which come largely from New Guinea—wore sold. What milliners call "ospreys" are plijjnes obtained from tho white egret, a bird or the heron type. These plunics, which flow airily down the back, only appear in tho breeding season, so that the birds are shot when rearing their young. ■ . Mr. ; A. H. Mattingly desoribed a visit to one of the eg'ret rookeries on tho Murray River just after it had been raided for plumes. Ho found tho old birds floating dead on the water, the young dying from starvation, falling 0110 by one into tho lagoon underneath, weakened by the long, lingering agony of starvation. The most pitiable sight of all, as described by Mr. Mattingly, was the efforts of tho surviving young of tho egrets to attract other lierons which flew by with food for their young. This barbarous practice of slaughtering the brooding egrets for their plumes has gone on for years. Mr. Donald Macdonald first drawing attention to the destruction of tho birds on Cobram Station somo years ago. A summary of Mr. Mattingly's article on the subject appeared in "Bird Notes and News," the quarterly journal of tho English Bird Protection Sooiety, of which Queen Alexandra is the patron, and the Duchess of Portland president. It is worth noting that othor important features in the last London plume sales were great quantities of crowned pigeons from Now Guinea, tropical kingfishers and lyre-bird' tails, and emu skins from Australia, although both the lyre-bird and oniu are supposed to bo protected in Australia. In February last Sir Horbert Maxwell drew attention to the subject in tho "Pall Mall Gazette."

Thin, palo, bloodless women need Stearns' Wino to make now blood and rostoro strength. Does as much good as cod liver oil and iron and tastes lilio fcho finost old port. -23 Messrs. A. L. Wilson and Co. havo several largo ghoop'ruiu. nud a grocory business for ( salo.