7 2 Report of Committee on Bird Protection. \\^ 



your chairman have notified a number of wholesale milliners that 

 the goods are contraband and can only be purchased at the risk 

 of prosecution. The criminal case against Dumont & Co. is still 

 pending. Dr. Palmer reports further : " The seizure of the birds 

 at once attracted attention and the results are likely to be far- 

 reaching. 



'■ One of the largest wholesale millinery firms in Baltimore re- 

 quested an official inspection of their stock and agreed to abandon 

 the sale not only of gulls and terns but also of grebes, pelicans, 

 herons and other birds protected by State or Federal law. I in- 

 terviewed practically all the wholesale milliners in the city and 

 without exception they took the same ground and promptly with- 

 drew these birds from sale. Judging by the action of these 

 dealers, I believe that the wholesale trade in native plume birds 

 in Baltimore has practically ceased for the time being, and a be- 

 ginning has been made for similar action in other States." Later, 

 conference with wholesale dealers in Boston, NewYork, and Phila- 

 delphia resulted in the agreement not to purchase any more gulls, 

 terns, herons, pelicans or grebes, so that the prospects for elimi- 

 nating all American birds from the millinery trade are very bright. 



The effect of the Lacey Act on the selling of imported game 

 birds in Pennsylvania and other States where the selling of such 

 birds is prohibited will probably require a judicial decision. 

 Many dealers contend that the law cannot affect the sale of birds 

 legally killed in other States. As this is exactly what the Lacey 

 Act was intended to do, however, there is very little doubt but 

 that it will be upheld. So far as Philadelphia is concerned, it has 

 already resulted in a great reduction in the sale of game birds. 



Pieside the aggressive work described 1 would call attention to 

 the valuable publications prepared by Dr. T. S. Palmer and issued 

 by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, namely, ' A Review of 

 Economic Ornithology in the United States,' 'A list of Organiza- 

 tions concerned in the Protection of Game ' ; 'Legislation for the 

 Protection of Birds other than Game Birds ' (a compilation of 

 existing State laws), and ' A Compilation of State Laws govern- 

 ing the Sale and Transportation of Game ' (the latter in con- 

 nection with Mr. H. W. Olds) . 



These publications are of the utmost importance to all inter- 



