27 



It must, however, be remembered that the first article is the 

 important one, the follo\^ing clauses merely containing recom- 

 mendations to be carried into effect temporarily until the absolute 

 protection given by Article 1 can be enforced. 



Turning to the American Model Law. we find it most far- 

 reaching and explicit ; its prohibitions relating to protected 

 species extend to (a) having them in possession, living or dead ; 

 (6) purchasing, selling or exposing them for sale ; (c) transporting 

 or shipping them within or without the State ; and (d) selling or 

 having in possession for sale any part of the plumage, skin or 

 body.* In addition to this, possession of the nest or eggs of any 

 protected species is an offence. f 



The mention of plumage is of interest partly because it reminds 

 us of the omission of all reference to plumage in our own Act of 

 1880, and partly because it calls attention to one of the chief 

 points in connection witli the subject — the appalhng massacre of 

 what our American friends call " plume birds " for millinery 

 purposes. This subject has not up to the present received the 

 attention it deserves in Europe. 



In a discourse on the legislation for protection of birds it would 

 be out of place to give many details of the horrible and loathsome 

 extent of the butchery wliich takes place to meet the demands of 

 fashion ; the records of the wholesale slaughter of nesting egrets 

 in order to obtain their nuptial plumes, of Gulls, Terns, Grebes 

 and other birds are only too familiar to all of us. Nobody 

 possessing a spark of humanity can read the weU-kno^vTi account 

 by the American naturalist Mr. W. E. D. Scott of his visit in 

 1887 to the nesting ground of the beautiful and once numerous 

 Ardea egretta in Florida M-ithout acute pain and disgust. J But 

 though recent legislation has done something to protect plume 

 birds in America, the massacre goes on gaily in many other 

 parts of the world. 



Each year fabulous numbers of bird-skins and packets of 

 feathers are imported and sold in London ; and though our 

 resident birds do not suffer very much, the demand for the 

 destruction of Seagulls for miUinery purposes has apparently 

 not been stamped out, although without doubt the Sea Birds 

 Act of 1869 and subsequent legislation have done much to check 

 their slaughter, which was a profitable trade. § The records 



* Sect. 1. t Sect. 2. 



t See " The Auk," 1887, pp. 135-144, 213-222. 273-284 ; 1888, p. 128. 



There is special legislation no\v in Florida to protect plume birds ; 



but the stable door has been shut after most of the horses have left. 

 § See Rev. Juhan G. Tnck, " Zoologist," 1903, pp. 353 and 395 ; also 



article " liittiwake " in Nelson's " Birds of Yorkshire," Vol. II., 



p. 689. 



