The Audubon Societies
To endeavor to prevent all illegal inter- ference on the part of game wardens with the millinery trade: to refrain from aiding the passage of any legislation that has for its object restrictions against the importa— tion, manufacture or sale of fancy feathers obtained from domesticated towls or of the plumagc of foreign birds. other than those specifically mentioned above.
IT ls mum: by each of the parties that this contract shall remain in Force for a period of three years from the date of its execution,
To show how far—reachng the agreement between the memhers of the Millinety Mer- chants' Protective Association of New York and the Audubon Society of the State of New York really is. it is only neccssary to call attention to the following:
While it was not made a part of the for- mal agreement, yet the members of the committee representing the‘ Audubon So- ciety promised to identify any birds or plumage submitted by the ttlilliners.
The first specimen submitted proved to be an adult Cattle Heron (Bubuicu: luritlurl in ftlll breeding plumage; it will he on: of the prohibited birds aiter January t, I904,
In this connection it is intercsling to quote the following front ‘Bird Notes and News,’ the organ of the British Society for the Protection of Birds, the first number of which appeared April. too}.
"Killing Down the Bttfi-Backed Heron. In the last issue of the journal oithe Khedi- vial Agricultural Society, attention is called, apparently none too soon, to the great diminution in the number of useful birds in the neighborhood oi‘ Cairo, The writer (Dr. Innes) tells of the ‘ almost total exter- mination’ of the Butt-backed Heron which he calls the Cattle-egret, from its habit of attending cattle and relieving them of insect pests. Birds of this species follow the plow and pick up mole-crickets and larvie. Captain Shelley says that they (‘ilusc 'great havoc among the other insects'. They were so common in the past. and did so much good that many travelers con» founded them with the Sat‘rctl Ibis. Dr. Innes attributes the reduction in the num- bers of this useful species to ‘sorcalled sportsmen. who kill-for thesake of killing'.”
- HY. s.—rrrm Ill: Field, Feb. .4, 1903.
(tirth'll bubulcm),
locusts antl
105
Bird-Protection Abroad 7 11. Australia
South
No better evidence of the world-wide interest in bird-protection can he found than in the laws of the various British colonies Even in fat-distant Australia so much progress has been made in legislation of this kind that the ‘Bird Protection Acts‘ of some of the states compare favorably with those oi any country in the world. In South Australia, the second in size of the Australian states, game-protection has re- ceived attention for thirty years or more, and at least four statutes relating to birds have been enacted: vi7., the Game Act of 1874,, Act No. 337 at [385, the Game Act of 1886, and the Birds’ Protection Act of 1900. The last two will sulhce for corn- parison with the laws of our own country,
Under the game act of 1885 all hirds were divided into two categories : ‘Special game,‘ including Pheasants, Partridges, Grouse, California Quail and White Swans , and ‘game,’ including ollwr indigenous or imported hints, Special game was pro» tected from Septemth I to April i, and game, during close seasons, beginning on the first of June, July or August and tr- tending, in each case, to December t5, thus Covetng only the breeding season. Nine groups of hirtls were excepted from protection. These groups were Crows, Blac Magpies, Wattle Birds. Silver liyes. Ytl[0\\vLI’ESKE(i Cockatoos. Rosella Paro- quet Sparrows. Snipe and Cormorants. It is interesting to note that neither Hawks nor Owls, which are so frequently excepted in our laws and which at this time (l886) were being exterminated in sortie parts of
the United Statesthrough bounty laws were given the same protection as other birds in Sautll Australia, The game act or tSSG pru— hihited purcllitsc,snlenntlpus ion.a well as killing, and like the law of New York. provided a double
lations of its ptovl
cm of penalties [or \‘io-
ons. he fines, not ex~
needing 4:5 for each piece ut spet'iul game.
and ,[2 for each pint of game, were supple» rnented by fixed amounts representing the value of the birdsglfz in the case of special game and 5 shillings in the case ct ordinary game; so that the maximum penalties for a
single bird might range inun ttr 10$354
