BIRD NOTES PiTiD NEWS. 



Jlssueti C^uartcrlj bg tljz llo^al ^ocictg for tbc ^rotertion of ^tr5s. 



Vol. IV.— No. 2.] London : 23, Qup:en Anne's Gate, S.W. 



[JUNE 24, 1910. 



With every other Society and citizen of the British Empire, the Royal Society for the 

 Protection of Birds shares in the deep and world-wide sorrow caused by the death of 

 His Majesty King Edward VII. It will never be forgotten by the Council and members 

 that it was King Edward's gracious permission which granted to the Society devoted 

 to the protection and preservation of wild birds of his Empire the prefix of " Royal " 

 to its name. Nor will they ever cease to remember the humane support to its 

 crusade against the destruction of birds for millinery given by His Majesty's beautiful 

 and beloved Consort, Queen Alexandra. It is the hope and prayer of the Society that 

 Bird Protection, with every other good cause, may flourish still more effectually under 

 the fostering rule of King George V. 



INTERNATIONAL ORNITHOLOGICAL CONGRESS. 



IRD Protection secured a prominent 

 place in the discussions at the 

 fifth International Ornithological 

 Congress held at Berlin, May 30th 

 to June 4th, 1910, under the presidency of 

 Professor Reichenow. The Freilierr von 

 Berlepsch was the President of the Section 

 in which this subject was discussed. The 

 trade in birds' feathers for millinery purposes 

 was considered in a long and interesting 

 debate. Professor Schillings, the famous 

 African traveller, spoke of the necessity for 

 prohibiting the importations of skins and 

 feathers of " plumage birds." Dr. R5rig 

 contended that each State should take 

 independent action, a course which obviously 

 it would be wise to adopt in the form of 

 laws prohibiting the killing and exportation 

 of birds in conjunction with laws against 

 importation. Mr. James Buckland read a 

 paper on " The Destruction of Wild Birds 

 in General throughout the World and the 

 Pressing Necessity for an International 

 Conference to consider the whole Question." 

 Madam van Hoorde spoke on " Bird Protec- 

 tion and Fashion." The urgent need for 



concerted action of some kind was clearly 

 brought out in the animated discussion, 

 and a resolution was passed in favour of the 

 prohibition of importation. A committee, 

 consisting of representatives of various 

 European countries and the United States, 

 was appointed to give the matter further 

 consideration. 



Another useful subject before the Section 

 was the suggested international union of 

 Bird Protection Societies of all countries, 

 brought forward by Dr. Heuss. 



Mr. Henry Eeles Dresser, F.L.S., F.Z.S., 

 the British Vice-President of the Congress, 

 represented the Royal Society for the Protec- 

 tion of Birds. Mr. Dresser was among the 

 early friends of the Society, and edited its 

 series of Educational Leaflets. He joined the 

 Council in 1898, and is a constant attendant 

 at its meetings and at those of the Committees. 

 No other British ornithologist, it is safe to say, 

 is held in higher honour and esteem on the 

 Continent, and few have probably so intimate 

 a knowledge of foreign countries and 

 languages. 



