54 



Bird- Lore 



great satisfaction. I have forwarded all 

 the leaflets and pamphlets in question 

 to our Ministry of Agriculture, Works and 

 Commerce, in Peking, and I have no 

 doubt it will take into consideration 

 the numerous questions relating to the 

 protection of wild birds and animals so 

 thoroughly discussed in them. 



"Assuring you of my sympathy in the 

 work of your association. 



Very truly yours, 



Weighing W. Yen. " 



Japan 



The educational and other publications 

 of the Association were also sent, at the 

 request of the Japanese delegates, to Dr. 

 I. Ijima, Sci. Coll. Imp. Univ., Tokyo. 



Tokyo, November lo, 1908. 

 "My De.-\r Sir: I beg to acknowledge 

 the receipt of the publications of the 

 National Association of Audubon Societies. 

 Please accept my best thanks for them. 

 I dare say the issuing of such useful papers 

 should be imitated in this country. I 

 expect they will be of great use to me in 

 many respects, and shall be exceedingly 

 obliged if you will favor we with further 

 donation in case you happen to issue papers 

 of the kind in the future. I am, 



Yours respectfully, 



Dr. I. Ijima. 

 Sci. Coll. Im]). I'niv. Tokyo." 



Recently four Japanese plume-hunters 

 were found upon one of the American 

 Pacific Islands, contrary to the agreement 

 made by Japan with the United States, 

 details of which may be found in Bird- 

 Lore. (Vol. 7, pp.301-303.) 



The schooner Kioko Maru, which left 

 the plume hunters upon Lee Hermes 

 Island, about eighty miles southeast of 

 Midway Island, was never heard of after 

 her departure, and it is supposed that 

 during one of the terrific Pacific storms 

 she foundered. During this same storm, 

 huge seas swept over the island, which is 

 a very low one, and the provisions and 

 supplies left to the marooned men were 

 lost. The hunters subsisted, while on the 

 island, on such fish and sea birds as Ihcv 



could capture, although one of them. 

 Fukumatsu Sujiyama, succumbed as a 

 result of exposure. The three survivors 

 were taken off by the United States 

 steamer Flaurence Ward and were carried 

 to Honolulu. 



This violation of the agreement regard- 

 ing the American Bird Islands in the 

 Pacific has been reported by our Honolulu 

 representative, Mr. William Alanson 

 Bryan, to the State Department at Wash- 

 ington, who will probably call the atten- 

 tion of the Japanese Government to the 

 matter. 



Recently the secretary of the Washing- 

 ton Audubon Society, Mr. Rief, discovered 

 in Seattle birds partially prepared for 

 millinery ornaments. These were all 

 seized, and on investigation, were found to 

 have come from Japan. The birds were 

 species of Thrushes, Finches, Bulbulls and 

 Wagtails, with some few shore-birds. 



This matter has been called to the atten- 

 tion of Baron Takahira, Imperial Japanese 

 Embassador, who has asked for a full 

 report upon the matter, in order that he 

 might present same to his home govern- 

 ment, with the suggestion that such birds 

 were of vastly more value to Japan while 

 they were alive than the pittance that 

 might be received for them after they were 

 dead and were converted into millinery 

 ornaments. 



Legislation 



It is gratifying to be able lo announce 

 that the Hon. John W. Weeks, of Massa- 

 chusetts, introduced, on December 8, 

 in the House of Representatives, bill 

 known as "H. R. 228S8", which reads as 

 follows: 



"A Bill to protect migratory game 

 birds of the United States. 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House 

 of Representatives of the United States 

 of America in Congress assembled, that 

 all wild geese, wild swans, brant, wild 

 ducks, snipe, plover, woodcock, rail, wild 

 pigeons, and all other migratory game 

 birds which, in their northern and southern 

 migrntions, pass through or do not remain 



