Bird Notes & News 



ISSUED QUARTERLY BY THE ROYAL SOCIETY 

 :: :: FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS :: 



Vol V. ] 



SEPTEMBER, I9I3. 



[No. 7. 



Government Bill to Prohibit Importation of 



Plumage. 



Almost at the end of the session of 

 1913, Mr. Hobhouse, on August 4th, on 

 the part of the Government, introduced 

 a Bill into the House of Commons pro- 

 hibiting the importation of plumage into 

 Great Britain. The Bill is backed by 

 ]\Ir. E. S. Montagu (Under-Secretary for 

 India) and Mr. Sydney Buxton (President 

 of the Board of Trade). 



It has been known for some time that 

 a Cabinet Committee had been appointed 

 to consider the subject and to obtain 

 and examine evidence from all quarters, 

 including that eUcited by the Colonial 

 Office Committee. The result is a Bill 

 practically identical with that which 

 was drafted by the R.S.P.B. and passed 

 by the House of Lords in 1908, and 

 which has been steadily kept in view by 

 the Society since that time. 



The principal clauses of the Bill are 

 as foUows : — 



1. — (1) Subject to the exceptions in this 

 Act contained, a person shall not import 

 into the United Kingdom the plumage of 

 any wild bird, and accordingly section 

 forty-two of the Customs' Consolidation 

 Act, 1876, shall be read as if there were 

 included in the table of prohibitions and 

 restrictions therein — 



" The plumage of wild birds as defined 

 by the Importation of Plumage (Prohibition) 

 Act, 1913, subject to the exceptions con- 

 tained in that Act." 



(2) A person shall not have in his possession 

 or be concerned in selling the plumage of 



any wild bird which has been imported in 

 contravention of this Act, or which, having 

 been allowed to be imported on the ground 

 that it is being put to a certain use or 

 intended to be put to a certain use, is being 

 put to some other use ; and if any person 

 has in his possession or is concerned in selling 

 any such plumage, he shall be liable on 

 conviction under the Summary Jurisdiction 

 Acts to a fine not exceeding five pounds in 

 respect of the first offence and twenty-five 

 pounds in respect of the second or any 

 subsequent offence, and the court before 

 whom he is convicted may order the forfeiture 

 or destruction of any plumage in respect 

 of which the offence has been committed. 



2. — (1) The folloAnng plumage is excepted 

 from the prohibition on importation under 

 this Act : — 



(a) The plumage of birds for the time 

 being included in the Schedule to this 

 Act: 



(b) The plumage of birds imported 

 alive : 



(c) The plumage of birds imported 

 under a licence granted under this Act 

 for the purpose of supplying specimens 

 for any natural history or other museum, 

 or for the purpose of scientific research : 



(d) Plumage forming part of wearing 

 apparel being bona fide the property of, 

 and actually in the personal use of, or 

 intended for the personal use of, any 

 person entering the United Kingdom : 



(e) The plumage of wild birds ordinarily 

 used as articles of diet and imported for 

 that purpose. 



(2) His Majesty may by Order in Council 

 from time to time add the name of any bird 

 to the Schedule to this Act or remove the 

 name of any bird from that Schedule. 



