14 



Bird Notes and News 



section (d), Clause 2, "Wild birds ordinarily 

 used in the United Kingdom as articles of 

 diet and imported for that purpose." 



PUBLIC MEETING. 



Hearty support was given to the Plumage 

 Bill by a distinguished and representative 

 gathering at Caxton Hall, S.W., on March 

 19th. The interest taken in the subject was 

 indicated by the demand for tickets, which 

 was great enough to have filled the hall twice 

 over. The Duke of Marlborough presided. 

 Sir Sydney Buxton said it had been con- 

 tended that unless the question was dealt 

 with internationally the trade would only be 

 diverted to France or Austria, but now that 

 wearing apparel coming into this country 

 was not to be exempted, the argument dis- 

 appeared ; much as ladies would do for their 

 adornment, he did not think they were pre- 

 pared to go and live in France in order to 

 wear egret plumes. At present plumage 

 was smuggled from lands which were trying 

 to protect their birds, and the admission and 

 sale of them constituted an "unfriendly 

 act " towards those countries. Mr. H. Page 

 Croft dwelt on the economic value of birds 

 in the Colonies. 



A resolution urging the passing of the 

 Bill was proposed by Sir Harry Johnston, 

 seconded by the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie, 

 supported by Mr. F. C. Selous (who bore 

 testimony to the vast destruction of bird- 

 life), and carried unanimously. Letters of 

 sympathy were received from the Arch- 

 bishop of Canterbury, the Earl of Cromer, 

 and Earl Curzon of Kedleston. 



The meeting was under the patronage of 

 the Royal Society for the Protection of 

 Birds, the R.S.P.C.A., Zoological Society, 

 Avicultural Society, British Ornithologists' 

 Union, Society for the Promotion of Nature 



Reserves, Society for the Preservation of the 

 Fauna of the Empire, Animals' Friend 

 Society, and Our Dumb Friends' League ; 

 but the whole of the organization and 

 arrangements rested with Major Henry 

 Guest, M.P., to whom are due the heartiest 

 thanks of all bird-lovers. 



PROHIBITION OF EXPORT. 



Many British Colonies and Dependencies 

 have realised that it is necessary to pro- 

 hibit export of bird-skins and plumage in 

 order to give effect to their own Bird Pro- 

 tection laws and ordinances. 



India has possessed a law prohibiting 

 the export of all skins and feathers (except 

 Ostrich) since 1902. 



The Australian Commonwealth by a 

 Proclamation of April 11th, 1913, pro- 

 hibited exportation of certain plumages, 

 including Emu, Terns and Gulls, Egrets 

 and Herons, Parrots, Rollers, Rifle-birds, 

 Grebes, Albatross, Orioles. The Northern 

 Territory by Ordinance 2 of 1913 also 

 prohibits export of scheduled birds. The 

 New Zealand Prohibition dates from 1908 

 (No. 6), amended by No. 22 of 1910. 



The following Crown Colonies have 

 export laws bearing date prior to 1913: 

 British Guiana, 1877 ; Cyprus, 1911 ; East 

 African Protectorate, 1909 ; Nyassaland, 

 1911 ; Ceylon, 1909 ; Bahamas, 1904 ; 

 Montserrat, 1912; Trinidad, 1890; 

 Grenada, 1911 ; St. Vincent, 1911 ; St. 

 Lucia, 1885. 



In 1913, Ordinances were enacted in: 

 Antigua, St. Christopher, Falkland, Fiji, 

 and Somaliland. 



In 1914, up to the present: Barbadoes, 

 Bermudas, Dominica, Gold Coast, Mauri- 

 tius, St. Helena, Seychelles, Straits Settle- 

 ments and Virgin Island. 



The subject has received the direct atten- 

 tion of the present Colonial Secretary, Mr. 

 Lewis Harcourt, and many colonies beside 

 those named have the matter under 

 consideration. 



