^'°1"J"] ^'^'^ Protection in the Old V/ovld. t33 



proper protection of birds. This Congress was notable for two 

 reasons — (i) because the delegates of the Paris feather merchants 

 and of the millinery houses appeared before the Congress to 

 oppose the cause of bird protection, which threatened to injure 

 trade interests ; and (2) because the Congress framed resolutions 

 requesting the respective Governments to institute thorough 

 research as to the food of birds, in order to decide the question 

 of usefulness or noxiousness. This report was to have been 

 delivered at the 4th International Ornithological Congress, held 

 in London in 1905. 



Finally, mainly through the splendid efforts of the Austrian 

 and Hungarian Governments, the result of the two Paris Con- 

 gresses was kept moving till success (if not altogether complete) 

 was most assuredly attained. At Paris, on the 19th March, 

 1902, the following thirteen countries or States, through their 

 respective plenipotentiaries, subscribed to a model bird bill to be 

 incorporated in the laws of their countries, viz. : — Austria, 

 Hungary, Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Holland, Luxem- 

 burg, Monaco, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, and Switzerland. 



The following were the clauses agreed upon : — 



Article 1. 



Birds useful to agriculture, particularly the insect-eaters and namely those 

 birds enumerated in the first Schedule attached to the present Convention 

 (which Schedule the Parliaments of the several countries may enlarge by 

 additions), shall be unconditionally protected by a prohibition forbidding 

 them to be killed in any way whatsoever, as well as the destruction of their 

 nests, eggs, and broods. 



Until such time as this result shall be completely realised, the high con- 

 tracting parties bind themselves to take, or to propose to their Parliaments 

 to take, all such measures as are necessary to carry the resolutions 

 contained in the following clauses into effect. 



Article 2. 



It shall be forbidden, at any season and in any manner whatsoever, to 

 steal nests and eggs, to take or destroy nestlings. 



The import of these nests, eggs, and nestlings, their transport, the 

 colportage of the same, their putting up to sale, their sale and purchase 

 shall be prohibited. 



This prohibition does not concern nests built by birds in dwelling-houses, 

 or any kinds of buildings, on the same or in the interior of court-yards, 

 which may be destroyed by owners, occupiers, or any person authorised by 

 the same, {^l-'urthcr the enactments of the present clause may be considered 

 invalid in the case of the eogs of Lapwinys and Giclls?\ * 



Article 3. 

 The construction and employment of traps, cages, nets, nooses, lime- 

 twigs, or any other kind of instruments used for the purpose of rendering 

 easy the wholesale capture or destruction of birds shall be forbidden. 



Article 4. 



In case the high contracting parties should not be in a position to enforce 



the prohibitions included in the preceding clause at once and in their 



entirety, they may mitigate the severity of the said prohibitions as required, 



but engage to restrict the use of methods, weapons, and instruments of 



* Later additiun. 



