132 Vice-Presidential Address: [,^, "!"„, 



Conference on 29th June (1895). The epitome of the fifteen 

 paragraphs of the draft adopted is as follows : — 



§ I. Deals with the schedules of birds voted useful or noxious, but 

 recognizes the right of signatory States to enlars^e the schedules to meet the 

 requirements of their own interests. 



§ 2. Protects nests, broods, and fledglings, but admits the right of 

 independent regulations concerning houses and the interior of courtyards. 



§ 3. Prohibits instruments adapted to the wholesale taking of birds 

 (expressis verbis : "la destruction en masse des oiseux'")— viz., nets, gins, 

 snares, bird-lime, &c. 



§ 4. Deals with the enforcing of the foregoing clause, which may be done 

 ^radatim ; but the prohibition remains in force as ultimate aim. 



§ 5. Arranges for close season for birds to be protected, to last from ist 

 March to 1 5th September, except in cases provided for in §§ 8-9 ; 

 regulates import, transport, and " transito '" traffic. 



§ 6. Defines modifications permissible by authorities. 



§ 7. Defines exceptions to be made in the interests of science and 

 regulates the keeping of living birds. 



§ 8. Contains regulations relating to the poultry yard, winged game, 

 birds living on preserves, guns, and sale. 



§ 9. Defines the exceptions which the respective States may make. 



§ 10. Binds the signatories to adapt their own laws to suit the Con- 

 vention, within a period of three years from date. 



§ II. Binds the signatories to communicate to each other any laws or 

 municipal decrees relating to the matter in question. 



§ 12. Provides for the settling of all questions that may arise in 

 connection with the carrying into effect of the Convention. 



§ 13. Deals with the eventual acceptances later on of other States. 



§ 14. Deals with the date for the coming in force of the Convention, and 

 the conditions for withdrawal. 



§ 15. Deals with the sanctioning of the Convention and the interchange 

 of documents. 



Now came further trouble. The Governments which did not 

 want to participate withdrew — Great Britain, Holland, and 

 Russia. This was permissible, seeing that the delegates who 

 had signed the minutes of 29th June, 1895, did not bind their 

 Governments to anything, as the provision distinctly stated 

 that the draft shall be submitted for the approval of the Govern- 

 ments — i.e., the final decision was reserved. Italy lost no 

 time in declaring she would not accept the draft. The with- 

 drawal of Italy was deemed of great importance, because useful 

 birds were there not only without protection, but were liable to 

 most brutal methods of wholesale destruction. Moreover, its 

 birds were mostly migratory, therefore alien property so far as 

 Italy was concerned. Switzerland and Sweden made modified 

 demands. 



Five years subsequently (1900) came the World's Exhibition 

 at Paris, which was made the occasion of another (the 3rd) Inter- 

 national Ornithological Congress, which eventually and happily 

 placed the final stamp on the international movement for the 



