Editor Forest and
Stream:
In view of the fact
that the destruction of birds for millinery purposes is at
present attracting general attention, the appended list of
native birds seen on hats worn by ladies in the streets of
New York, may be of interest. It is chiefly the result of
two late afternoon walks through the uptown shopping
districts, and, while very incomplete, still gives an idea
of the species destroyed and the relative numbers of each.
Robin, four.
Brown thrush, one.
Bluebird, three.
Blackburnion warbler, one.
Blackpoll warbler, three.
Wilson's black-capped flycatcher, three.
Scarlet tanager, three.
White-bellied swallow, one.
Bohemian waxwing, one.
Waxwing, twenty-three.
Great northern shrike, one.
Pine grosbeak, one.
Snow bunting, fifteen.
Tree sparrow, two.
White-throated sparrow, one.
Bobolink, one.
Meadow lurk, two.
Baltimore oriole, nine.
Purple grackle, five.
Bluejay, five.
Swallow-tailed flycatcher, one.
Kingbird, one.
Kingfisher, one.
Pileated woodpecker, one.
Red-headed woodpecker, two.
Golden-winged woodpecker, twenty-one.
Acadian owl, one.
Carolina dove, one.
Pinnated grouse, one.
Ruffed grouse, two.
Quail, sixteen.
Helmet quail, two.
Sanderling, five
Big yellowlegs, one.
Green heron, one.
Virginia rail one.
Laughing gull, one.
Common tern, twenty-one.
Black tern. one.
Grebe, seven.
It is evident that, in
proportion to the number of hats seen, the list of birds
given is very small; but in most cases mutilation rendered
identification impossible. Thus, while one afternoon 700
hats were counted and on them but 20 birds recognized, 543
were decorated (?) with feathers of some kind. Of the 158
remaining, 72 were worn by young or middle aged ladies and
86 by ladies in mourning or elderly ladies, or—
Percentage of hats
with feathers.......................77
Without feathers.....................................10
Without feathers, worn by ladies in mourning or elderly
ladies............................................12 |
