50 



Bird Notes and News 



IMPORTATION OF LIVE BIRDS. 



The Board of Trade have, by a Proclama- 

 tion dated October 3rd, prohibited the 

 importation of all live birds into this country, 

 with the exception of poultry and game. 

 Bird protectors must see to it that lack of 

 little foreign birds from other lands is not 

 made the bird-catcher's and dealer's pretext 

 for catching and caging additional British 

 birds ; these, as they can be studied in their 

 wild state, are not called for by the scientifi« 

 aviculturist. 



BIRD PROTECTION IN MALTA. 



A NEW Ordinance for the protection of the 

 Wild Birds of Malta has been issued by the 

 Governor, Field-Marshal Lord Methuen. It 

 marks a great advance upon the Ordinance 

 of 1911, giving fuller protection to species 

 that are fast being exterminated on the 

 island, and the thanks of Bird Protectors 

 are due to Mr. Guiseppe Despott, of the Malta 

 Natural History Museum, Captain Scott- 

 Hopkins and Mr. Jessop, of the Garrison 

 Batt., Yorkshire Regiment, and, above all, 

 to Lord Methuen. 



The Plumage Trade. 



Though the quantity of wild-bird plumage 

 used in the making of artificial flies for the 

 angler is not to be compared with the amount 

 used for women's headgear, it furnishes a 

 plea for the killing of certain species with 

 brilliantly hued feathers, and affords an 

 excuse for the importation of plumage from 

 abroad. An article will appear in the 

 Spring Number of Bird Notes and News, from 

 the pen of Mr. W. Baden-Powell, K.C.. 

 showing, from practical experiments' that 

 the use of feathers is not necessary for salmon 

 flies, but may now be superseded, to the 

 advantage of the angler, by flies of different 

 construction which form a more attractive 

 lure. 



A Cargo of Magpies. 

 A curious illustration of the fact that 

 while many useful imports are restricted to 

 the uttermost, that of useless articles still 

 goes on, is afforded by the fact that a large 

 quantity of the skins and wings of Magpies 

 were recently washed up at several points 

 on the coast of England. The plumage had 

 been prepared for the plumassier, and was 

 no doubt on its way to the feather-market 



when the vessel was wrecked or struck a 



mine and its cargo became the flotsam of 



the waves. The birds were the Asiatic 



type of Magpie. 



Help for Disabled Soldiers. 



A letter has been received by the Society 



from Mr. Hornaday, of the New York 



Zoological Park, in which an interesting 



suggestion is made for a millinery decoration 



which would be not only artistic in itself 



but might afford help to the dependents of 



men who have given their all for their 



country. He writes : — 



" Some months ago I put forth an effort 

 to induce the people of Paris to take up 

 seriously the question of educating maimed 

 soldiers, and also soldiers' widows and 

 orphans, into making embroidery for 

 millinery use. I think that in the first place 

 there is a great field for hand embroidery 

 on women's hats, and also that a great 

 many maimed soldiers and soldiers' wives 

 could be trained into what would be a 

 new and profitable industry and means of 

 livelihood. ... I know that the idea is a 

 good one, and in the proper hands can be 

 made productive." 



There is no reason why such an under- 

 taking should not be started in London 



