BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 563 



from Tennessee were also referred to the game, fish, and forestry 

 warden of that State for action for the reason that procedure in game 

 cases in the Tennessee courts is unusually expeditious. A substantial 

 fine was secured in one of these cases ; the other two are still pending. 

 Two cases involving illegal shipment of quail from Hillsboro, Kans., 

 and Louisville, Ky., are now pending in the federal courts. 



Besides these new cases, two that were pending at the time of the 

 last report Avere concluded and the defendants fined. One of these 

 cases involved the shipment of G,000 quail from Oklahoma City, 

 Okla., the other the shipment of GG ducks from New Orleans, the 

 packages in both instances being falsely marked. 



PLUMAGE. 



The new criminal code and several recent state laws provide more 

 stringent regulation than heretofore of the traffic in plumage for 

 millinery purposes, and preparations have been made to enforce these 

 laws in several States. On the Pacific coast the game officials of 

 Oregon and California, after having secured stronger legislation, 

 have taken measures to suppress the sale and possession of aigrettes 

 and plumage of American birds in those States. The matter was 

 brought to the attention also of the convention of state game com- 

 missioners held at New Orleans in February, 1910. The state game 

 and fish commissioner of Missouri, after returning from the conven- 

 tion, made preparations to enforce the state plumage laAv to the full, 

 and designated one of his deputies as " plumage expert," charged 

 with the duty of inspecting and securing satisfactory identification 

 of the goods displayed. The Biological Survey has actively coop- 

 erated with these officials at every stage of the proceedings and 

 especiall}' with the commissioner of Missouri, as the attention given 

 the subject in that State is a distinct departure in game protective 

 work. In New York, after an active campaign, a satisfactory law 

 was secured by bird protectionists to replace the former statute 

 relating to plum.age. Under this law, which takes effect July 1, 

 1911, it will be possible for this Department and the state officials 

 in cooperation to furnish adequate protection to herons, egrets, and 

 other American birds that-are threatened with extermination because 

 of the great demand for their plumage for hat decoration. 



At the Fifth International Ornithological Congress held in Berlin 

 in May, 1910, the subject of protection was given much consideration 

 and resulted in the appointment of an international committee on bird 

 protection composed of representatives of Austria, Bavaria, Belgium, 

 Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Hungary, Italy, 

 Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. Dr. T. S. Palmer, 

 of this Bureau, and IVfr. "William Dutcher, president of the National 

 Association of Audubon Societies, were appointed to represent the 

 United States. 



