36 Bird - Lore
are engaged in caging valuable inscctivomus birds to export for their pecuniary gain. Louisiana has over strao,ooo,ooo invested in agriculture; why shooltl this enormous moneyed interest be jeopardized by a few tnen whose entire invested capital probably does not amount to $10,000?
The New Jersey Audubon Society is making a determined etiort to prevent the passage of a law permitting the killing or Robins by fruit-growers. and calls for the assistance of all bird-lovers.
The annual report of the Chairman of the National Committee is now ready for distri- bution. It gives in detail the status of Audubon work, legislation and warden service in the United States. All the Au- dubon Societies are urged to circulate this report liberally, as it cannot fail to do good. It is especially important that every local secretary should have a copy at the earliest possible date, in order that they may know what is being done in other sections of the country—NV. D.
Bird Protection Abroadilll. New Zealand
By T, S. Patton (Concluded lrorn Vol. v
» s. e. mi The amendments to the New Zealand Act at 1380 are nearly all briet. In its. authority was given the colonial secretary to issue permits to persons to destroy game in- jurng crops on their own lands. tn rzsa rangers were granted the powers of con- stables, with authority to seize guns, nets, or any devices used in capturing game cone trary to law. Under the Amendment Act of 1886 all game is to be considered as im- ported game without requiring proof of the fact of importationt The Amendment Act of r839 prohi ited the use of guns larger than No. to bore, required licenses for sale of native game, and a record or all sales of game, fixed an open season tor Godwirs during February, March and April, and required acclimatizalion societies to file an» nual statements of their accounts with the colonial The Amendment Act of IK95 contained two important provisions: one prohibiting the importation of any a mal, bird. reptile. or insect without a per»
treasurert
mit from the Minister of Agriculture, and the other authorizing the Governor, on recommendation of the colonial secretary, to prohibit the sale of game or native game in any district when necessary to prevent un~ due destruction of the species. In rgoo ex- port ot game was prohibited except under permit from the colonial secretary, and every third year, beginning with rgot, was made a close season for the native Pigeon, ‘ Pukeko ’ and ‘ Kaka,‘ or native parrots of the genus Nermr, one species of which, the ‘Kea‘ of the Maoris, has become well known on account of its remarkable habit of attacking sheep.
The object of presenting this array of apparently uninteresting details is to furnish not only a résumé of New Zealand game legislation, but also to afiord an opportunity of comparing the game laws of the colony with those of the United States. It must be admitted that ‘The Animals’ Protection Act of 1880' was in advance of most of our state laws of the same period, and, with its heavy penalties and provision tor rangers, was more likely to be respected. It has stood for twenty~three years with less change than almost any of ourstate laws duringthe same time, possibly on account of the broad powers given to the Governor in modifying the game list, shortening or closing the open seasons, and prohibiting the sale of game, which adapt the law to local condi- tions and obviate the necessity for radical amendments. It is interesting to note that New Zealand prohibited the introduction of injurious species twenty years earlier than the United States, and required permits from the Department of Agriculture for all foreign animals and birds five years before Congress adopted similar provisions in the Lacey Act. Finally. in marked contrast with our practice. she has found it advan- tageous, in spite of her varied climatic con- ditions, to have a uniform open season of moderate length for all game instead of sea- sons ot varying length extending over eight or nine months for different birds. Spring shooting is thus done away with and more eflectual protection given to migratory shore- birds and waterfowl than is possible under our present laws.
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