6 



are to be considered useful to agriculture and forestry throughout 

 the year. These include the Cuckoo, the Swallows, Martins, 

 Swift, Nightjar, Tree Creeper, Warblers, Pipits, Hedge Sparrow, 

 Golden and Fire-crested Wrens, and the Tits ; while the Black- 

 bird, Song Thrush and Skylark are to be considered useful during 

 the first nine months of the year. 



There is also an old Hunting Law of the 13th June, 1857, in 

 force in Holland, by which, amongst other things, it is pro- 

 hibited — * 



(a) To catch, kill, transport, sell or offer for sale or to have 

 in stock for sale. Peewits or Nightingales ; 



(6) To disturb or destroy the nests of Nightingales ; 

 (c) To lay traps to catch or kill Nightingales or Peewitsf ; 

 {d) To place traps for catching Thrushes within a certain 

 height from the ground ; 



(e) To catch Thrushes, Larks or Finches on another man's 

 land without the permission in writing of the owner or in 

 his company. 



This law also prohibitsj collecting or deahng in the eggs of wild 

 birds ; this prohibition, however, does not apply to Wild Ducks. 

 Eggs of aquatic game birds and Peewits may, however, be taken 

 during February, March and April in the presence of the OAvner 

 of the land or with his permission. No eggs of the Peewit may 

 be bought, exposed for sale, or removed after the 5th May. 



Provision is made for persons who have special leave to collect 

 for scientific purposes. § 



The Dutch laws have a special interest from the fact that 

 Holland was one of the European Powers not a party to the Paris 

 Convention, though her representative had signed the Minutes 

 submitted to the Conference on Bird Protection at Paris on the 

 25th June, 1895, which formed the basis of the terms of the 

 Convention, 



The Dutch legislation is more elaborate than that of any country 

 which did not subscribe to the Articles of the Convention, except 

 that of Great Britain. It is also important from its recognition 

 of special rights appertaining to owners and occupiers of land, a 

 feature to which we shall have occasion to refer shortly. 



GERMANY. 

 In Germany the position is somewhat peculiar ; the protection 

 of birds is governed by the Imperial Law of 1888,|| but there are 



* Article 21. ■]• As to catching Nightingales and^eewits in Holland, 



see Rev. H. A. Macpherson's History of FowUng, pp. 124 and 464. 

 X Article 22. § Law of 1880, Article 4. || Sanctioned on 22nd 



March, 1888. 



