Letters, Extracts, A ot ices, &;c. 1 13 



Schauburg and mounted by a celebrated Dutcli taxidermist 

 has been purchased by the Carnegie Museum at Pittsburg, 

 U.S.A. It numbers about eight hundred specimens, and 

 contains examples of nearly all the species of Western 

 Europe. Each is represented by both sexes in adult 

 plumage, and in many instances by the young also. There 

 are over three hundred species represented in the collection. 



International Protection of Small Birds. — We are "pleased" 

 to hear that more serious steps are likely to be taken on the 

 Continent for the protection of small birds. We learn from 

 ' Science ' (n. s. vol. xvi. p. 277, 1902) that, encouraged by 

 the constantly renewed resolutions of the Councils General 

 and the Agricultural Societies, which deplored the systematic 

 destruction of birds useful to agriculture, the French Govern- 

 ment, in 1892, took the initiative in the matter by inviting the 

 European Powers to send representatives to an International 

 Commission on the subject. This Commission met in Paris 

 in June 1895. After long negotiations the convention thus 

 framed has now obtained the adhesion of France, Germany, 

 Austria, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Hungary, Luxemburg, 

 Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Principality of 

 Monaco. All the other States are empowered by the terms 

 of the agreement to adhere, if they think fit, to the con- 

 vention for the protection of birds. The various contracting 

 governments undertake to prohibit the employment of 

 snares, cages, nets, glue, and all other means for the capture 

 and destruction of birds in large numbers at a time. Ac- 

 cording to this general measure of protection, no one is to 

 be allowed to capture or kill, between March 1st and Sept. 

 15th, any of the birds useful to agriculture, of which a 

 complete list is contained in the International Agreement. 



Sale of the late Dr. Stark's Eggs, Birds, and Books. — 

 The eggs, bird-skins, and ornithological books of the late 

 Dr. Stark were sold bv auction at Stevens' Sale-rooms on 



