Page:Bird-lore Vol 08.djvu/96

 Ct)e Slutiubon |3>ociette0 " you cannot with a scalpel find the poet's soul, Nor yet the wild bird's song." Edited by MRS. MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT and WILLIAM DUTCHER Communications relating to the work of the Audubon and other Bird Protective Societies should be addressed to Mrs. Wright, at Fairfield, Conn. Reports, etc., designed for this department, should be sent at least one month prior to the date of publication. The Millinery Trade Organ It is interesting to read the editorials in 'The Millinery Trade Review,' as they un- doubtedly voice the feelings of the millinery trade toward the Audubon movement. An editorial, 'The Audubon Society Against the Fancy Feather Trade' says: " There can no longer be any doubt that one of the principal aims of the Audubon Soci- ety and its kindred organizations is to com- pletely wipe out the sale of fancy feathers of all kinds. As the Audubon Society has taken such extreme grounds on the subject of wearing fancy feathers, there is no other alternative but for the importer and manu- facturer to take up the gauntlet and meet these people in a battle royal ; in other words, to fight the devil with fire — organi- zation with organization." This is a fair proposition; now let the people be the judges and say whom they will support, the Audu- bon Societies that are trying to preserve the wild birds of America, or a fashion that decrees the death of birds to the verge of extinction of species. An editorial in the same publication en- titled ' To Fight the Aigrette Law ' says, "The merchants of New Orleans are the first to take up the pamphlet of Audubons and test the constitutionality of the Louisiana law passed by its Legislature last year, for- bidding the selling of aigrette plumage." After reviewing the brief of the attorney for the milliners, the editorial continues, " It is seriously to be hoped that there will be no let-up in this contest on the part of the New Orleans merchants, and that the case will be carried to the court of last resort in order that the commercial world may know what rights it has in the possession of merchan- dise bought in foreign countries, and which has been regularly passed through the cus- ( tom-house, and on which the duty exacted by the government has been duly paid. Every woman and girl, not only in Louisi- ana, but in the United States, is interested in this case, as upon it rests their rights to determine what they shall be permitted to buy abroad and wear on their return to their homes in America." — W. D. In the Courts — An Important Decision. In the last annual report (p. 309) under the head 'Aigrettes,' reference was made to an important suit that was in the New York Courts. Since then, the Court, of Appeals has handed down a decision that will have such a far-reaching effect on bird and game protection in this country, that it is thought best to give a brief outline of the suit and some extracts from the decision which was written by Chief Justice Cullen and was concurred in by the full bench. The decision is notable from the fact that there was no dissenting opinion, which is an unusual occurrence. John Hill, a hotel-keeper, and August Silz, a game-dealer, were arrested for viola- tion of the game-law. The Special Term upheld the arrest, but, on appeal to the Appellate Division, the Special Term was reversed and the relators were discharged from custody. The two cases were then taken to the Court of Appeals. " The affi- divit avers that on the 3d day of March John Hill did have in his possession one dead body of a bird known as a Golden Plover, and one dead body of a fowl com- monly called a Grouse; that, as the affiant was informed and believed, the said Plover and Grouse were taken without the state of New York, to wit, from England and Russia, and thence brought into the Borough of Brooklyn. The game-law enacts that 72)