THE PERILS AND PROFITS OF PLUME-HUNTING.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 315, 16 July 1898, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE PERILS AND PROFITS OF PLUME-HUNTING.

The professional plume-hunter is a lonely ma a; his habitat the vast, sombre swamp forests of Central and Southern America, and the "everglades" of Florida. In these little visited and almost trackless regions the egret breeds in countless millions. Or rather it did so until recently. Of late years, however, the constantly increasing demand for aigrettes has caused the birds to be hanted so ruthlessly and persistently as to have brought about their practical extermination over lirge areas where they were formerly plentiful. Plume-hunting is an exceedingly dangerous occupation, as well as an eminently unhealthy one, so much, so that no one, however robust, could keep at it for more than a few mouths at a time. For weeks together he is cut off entirely from civilisation, making his home in a little row-boat, built canoeshape for fa-t travelling. In this he larks amid pestiferous swamps and lagoona and bayous that literally reek with the horrible odour of decaying vegetation. All arouud him is the miasma-laden atmoslpbere whose breath is death. Beneath him are the poisonous waters, alligator-infested. Fever. succeeds chill, and chill, fever. Myriads of stinging insects prey upon him by night and harass him by day. Often their poisonous onslaughts prove fatal. More often still, his miasmasaturated system succumbs to some mora than ordinary Wrulent fever attack. His one autidote auraiust the latter is quinine, with which he doses himself morning, noon aud night. If his supply runs unexpectedly short, he will barter for it gold, guns, powder, shotj and even the precious feathers he has risked his life to obtain. If none is to be had at any price, he simply lies down in the bpttom of his boat, covers himself with his blankets, and waits for death. As a rule he does not have to wait long. It is estimated that, out of every hundred plume-hunters that annually set out for the heronries of Yucatan, quite 10 per cent, are never heard of ajrain. But thoje that do return bring with them something far more precious than gold—the snowwhite feathery plumes of the egret, long as those of the ostrich, but far more beautiful, with filaments as light and as lovely as frost-work on a winter window. Once, but that is many years ago, these much-sjught-after feathers were sold by the plume. A good one would fstoh from 15s to 18s ; and the hunters had to forward them at their own risk to San Franc sco, or London, or Paris. Now they are bought up on tho spot, at from sgs. to Sgs. an ounce, by speculators who swarm out from Europe to the edge of the hunting grounds. These men are specialists in their peculiar line of business, and they need to be, for tho least discoloration of the milky whiteness of an egret plume brings its value down at once from 30 to 50 per cent. When a buyer looks over a lot of feathers he uses a large magnifying glass, aud scrutinises each plume with all the nicety of a bird examining a flower, A back-ground of black velvet is always used, so as to make the faintest discolora* tion more perceptible. A fair season's harvest for a oingie hunter is from 20 to 50 ounces, and as a fullgrown egret yields only one-sixth of an ounce of plumes it is easy to see what a frightful sacrifice of bird-life takes place every year in obedience to the demands of fjshion. Moreover, the much-prized plumes are only grown during tho broodins season. They constitute, in fact, the bird's nuptial dres-, and it is this fact which causes the trade to be so fearfully destructive. Tae parent birds are shot while tho young ones are in the nests, and the latter of course, die of starvation. Thus for each egret slain by the gun of the hunter, from five to seven baby birds perish indirectly. It is shocking to think of; but, the plutne-uuuter asserts, and with some show of reasou, that he is not to blame. It is a c ise of supply and demaud. If he individually di I not engage in the business someone else would. " The wickedness, if wickedness there be, he says in effect, " is committed by the dames who wear the plumes." And he speaks the truth. Tue shooting takes place either in the evenng or at the first break of day. The hunter* get their craft in position about 4 p 1 m., concaaling themselves and their boats with foliage, just as duck-huntera do. About o or G o'clock the birds come|back to their nests and camping grounds, and just at the proper moment he delivers his fire, tie usually has from six to ten guns ready loaded, aud occasionally his evening's bag will amount to as many as 15 birds. More often, however, the number does not exceed seven or eight. This is, of course, when he is "in luck." As often as not the birds are startled in some way before they come within range. This is easily effected for the egret have been hunted so long aud persistently as to render old birds as wary as weasels. The above is the method most usually adopted but quite recently another and far more destructive plan has come into vogue. The hunter dispenses entirely with his armament of shot-guas, relying upon a powerful air-rifle, Armed with this, he secretes himself in the daytime near a "rookery," and patiently waits. Presently a single egret, th:; advance guard of the colony, sails in sight, and perches himself upon a tail tree. Slowly, carefu'ly, thebunter takes aim. A click, aud the bird whirls down, dead. Another arrives. He meets the same fate. Another, and another, and another ; and the tangled white heap at the foot of the tree grows steadily larger. A she egret, wondering vaguely why her lord does not return with food for her now impatient littlo ones, raises herself up above the rim of the nest on which she had been sitting. Her action has been observed. The tiny bullet pierces her. She, too, whirls down, white and motionless. And the nestlings cry more loudly tnan ever for the food that does not come—that will never come. It is all very dreadful, of course. But what would you ? The behest of fashion must be obeyed.