128 BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



insects (genus Phyllium of Entomologists), and the various members of the 

 curious family Phasmidaz, all common to this country. 



Now, taking it for granted, that the preservation of insectivorous birds is 

 necessary in the interests of Agriculture, — for the Legislature has even 

 acknowledged this fact — let us proceed to consider whether the measures 

 adopted are adequate for the purpose or not. In order to do so it will be 

 necessary to refer to the speech of the Hon. Mr. Scoble, the Legal Member in 

 Council, when moving for the Bill introduced by him to be considered and 

 passed, as well as to refer to the provisions of the Bill itself. 



At a Meeting of the Supreme Council, held at Simla on the 20th October last, 

 the Hon. Mr. Scoble said, "a general consensus of opinion was in favour'' of the 

 Bill, and that " where objection has been taken, it has been, not to the principle 

 of the Bill, but that it does not go far enough," which clearly demonstrate that 

 although legislation on the subject was most opportune, it might, in fact, ought to 

 have gone a good deal further than it actually did. He then went on to say : 

 " We have endeavoured to meetthis objection to some extent," and no doubt so, 

 but altogether insufficiently. That the Bill "will also admit of protection being 

 given to insectivorous birds "isnodoubt correct, but to so very limited an extent 

 that it certainly will not, as the Hon. Member contended, " sufficiently "protect 

 agricultural interests, "by empowering Municipal and Cantonment authorities to 

 make rules, fixing a close season for any kind of wild birds, and imposing a 

 penalty on the possession or sale of such birds," of course, only within such limits. 



The Act per se is very simple and brief, containing no more than four sections 

 in all, and the penalties imposed for any breach of the rules framed under its 

 provisions are by no means severe, only small fines being leviable in respect 

 thereof. But such as they are, they wouldno doubt adequately act as a deterrent, 

 if the limits within which the rules are to have force were extended to the whole 

 of British India, and not merely confined to the areas of the different 

 Municipalities and Cantonments comprised therein. Within such areas there is 

 little land under cultivation as a rule, and to prevent the destruction of insectiv- 

 orous birds in them will be of little benefit to agriculturists generally 

 throughout British India. 



Again, the Hon. Mr. Scoble in his speech, already adverted to and quoted 

 in some parts, says — 



"As this is a tentative measure, we have not thought it desirable to give District 

 Boards the powers conferred by it on Municipal and Cantonment authorities." 



But, at least as regards insectivox-ous birds, why should the Act be considered 

 a tentative measure ? These birds.it cannot be gainsaid, do a vast deal of good to 

 agriculturists in protecting their crops from the ravages of destructive insects, 

 and while " the rural population are " — to quote the words of the Lieutenant- 

 Governor of the Panjab cited by the Legal Member — " sorry to see them 

 destroyed, the only persons interested in the trade are the exporters, and a few 

 professional netters and snarers employed by them." Are the interests, then, of 

 the vast body of agriculturists in this essentially agricultural country to be 

 sacrificed to this limited and significant class ? There can be but one answer to 

 this question, and that, of course, an emphatic negative. It thus beiiovej the 



