212 ASHBY, R.A.O.U. Congress ['\sffan" 



The bulk of museum collections reach only a limited number 

 of students cjf the Natural 'J'axis or Classification of birds, which 

 is only one side, and a comi)aratively small one, of ornithology. 



I have yet to find a museum that properly displays to the 

 public the wonder and glory of the coloration of the Humming 

 Birds of America. The curators of the leading^ museums admit 

 this. 



I think the purposes of this discussion will be best served by 

 outlining some of the larger issues with which the leading 

 ornithologists both of Great Britain and America are in perfect 

 accord. Before doing so I would state for the information of 

 members that I have left my collection of Australian Bird Skins 

 to the State museum, giving to my son, who is also a worker 

 in ornithology, a life interest, and making provision for the use 

 of the collection for educational purposes. Thirty-five years 

 ago 1 was endeavouring to interest the young people of my own 

 State in bird life by giving bird-talks illustrated with skins, and 

 ■down the years one has continued this service as opportunity 

 permitted. 



Also during the same ])eriod one has consistently co-operated 

 with others in the obtaining of legislation for the protection of 

 our native birds, so perhaps it will be wi.se to ask what is our 

 object in getting such legislation intnxluced? 



PROTECTIVE J.EOTSLATIOX: ITS OF.TECT AND 

 EFFECT. 



A learned professor asks the question, "Does education edu- 

 cate?" and proceeds to answer it very largely in the negative. 



I ask, "Does our legislation for the protection of native bird 

 life materially count in the attainment of that end?" I say, 

 w^ith possibly one or two minor exceptions, its influence from 

 this point of view is in the majority of cases negligible. Those 

 of us who are real bird lovers have been responsible for the 

 arousing of a great deal of false sentiment; the real value of 

 our work in this direction has been the inculcation in the minds 

 of the young of a si)irit of wonder and an apju-eciation of the 

 value of life. And thus has done much to destroy the brute 

 spirit which says, "It is a fine day; let us go mit aTid kill some- 

 thing," with the result that many of the |)otential killers became 

 to some extent bird observers. 



This has been the real good we have attained down the years 

 of constant agitation for protective legislation. 



.\s regards the issue of the preservation of bird life other 

 than the setting apart of sanctuaries and lea\ing out the com- 

 mercial clement, it has no influence whatever. 



