BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



35 



that Queensland, at all events, and he thinks the 

 whole of the Australian Commonwealth, would 

 pass measures prohibiting tho export. 



Marquess of Bristol : Would they not do so if the 

 Bill were not passed ? — Xo, they will not ; they 

 think it is of no use, that it only opens a door to 

 smuggling. 



Mb. Montagu Shahto : If England will take 

 tho lead, I have not the least doubt that other 

 nations will come into line. For instanc 

 Hungary there is a desire for international action 

 owing to so many birds being migratory. . . . Judg 

 Log by tho pleasant relations existing between tho 

 two countries at the present time, the French might 

 very likely bo willing to take action upon the same 

 lines. — French men of science are of tho same 

 opinion as English men of science ? — I think so, 

 on all subjects connected witli birds. 



UTILITY OF THE BILL. 



Mr. Todhunter : The Bill woidd help the 

 Government of India greatly. Their present 

 remedy is a very partial one — the prohibition of 

 exports. They are powerless now even when we 

 can trace illicit export. . . . My personal opinion, 

 as a Customs officer, is that the Bill would be most 

 useful and helpful to us. 



Colonel Ryan : We would hail with the greatest 

 delight the passage of such an Act as you have in 

 contemplation. 



Lord Stanmore : I have already given a strong 

 expression of my opinion, that while direct pro- 

 hibitive legislation is of comparatively little use, 

 the imposition of an export duty upon the skins 

 of birds produces an immediate and telling effect, 

 so far as regards those that are sacrificed for com- 

 mercial purposes. 



I think you added that an import duty would 

 have the same effect ? — It is a natural complement 

 to the export duty in the Colony. 



Mr. Fountain : We see no difficulty at all, if 

 the Bill were approved, in carrying out the functions 

 that are put upon us, and we should be perfectly 

 prepared to undertake them. 



The following figures taken from the advertise- 

 ments and catalogues of the Feather Sales held at 

 the Commercial Sale Rooms, London, afford some 

 details of the numbers of various bird skins and 

 plumes dealt with at these sales : — 



Number of packages of " osprey " feathers and of 

 skins of Birds-of-Paradise offered at each of tho 

 London Plume Sales during 1907 : — 



Osprey 

 Pad 



February 12th 504 



April 0th iJ2 



June iltli 

 August 2nd ... 

 October 15th 

 December 17th 



During 1906 :— 



February 



April 



June 



August 



October 

 December 



348 

 315 



200 



:iT 



- 



1,1 

 485 

 285 



Birds-of 

 Paradise. 



3,831 

 1,241 



11,841 



5,700 



Tho quantity of feathers to a package varies 



greatly, but the 1,411 packages catalogued in the 

 last six months of 1907 were admitted to represent 

 115,000 birds, "the majority of them" Herons, 

 and one-third White Herons " Six birds," said 

 Mr. Downham, " furnish one ounce of feathers." 



These examples are given only as instances. They 

 do not represent the whole of the birds of tho 

 various species named off ered within the period from 

 which the quotations are given. 



Other birds catalogued in large numbers include 

 Owls, Red and Bronze Ibis, Orioles, Tanagers, 

 Hoopoes, Cardinals, Parrots, Trogons, Argus 

 Pheasants, Humming-birds, Blue Creepers, Canaries, 

 Cock-of-the-rock, " Jays " (Rollers), quills of 

 "Albatross," Pelican, Bustard, Crane, Eagle, 

 Heron, Osprey. 



