One hundred six years ago this month, Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. and the U.S. Supreme Court decided a landmark case that established the federal government’s authority to regulate the taking of migratory birds and waterfowl.
Efforts had been made by some states to prohibit the sale of feathers, as the women’s hat market had pushed the per-pound value of some feathers to twice the price of gold. In 1913, 12,000 hummingbird skins were sold at auction in London.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |