54 



appliances may be seen at suitable places over most parts of 

 Italy. An Italian military officer in uniform has been seen pur- 

 suing small birds with a fowling piece, and the late Pope was 

 reported much addicted to liming the warblers in the Vatican 

 gardens. It must be seen to be realised to what an extent fowling 

 is a national pastime of Italians, whether with a Hcence or without 

 one, and what a drain on the avifauna of Europe Italy must be. 

 Hunting, formerly the pastime of the great, has degenerated into 

 birding, the amusement and profit of the masses, and the mal- 

 practice seems to have gained in popularity of late years. Even 

 when they emigrate, the Italians take their ornithophagous 

 propensities with them. In the United States of America 

 they give so much trouble that some of the Audubon Societies 

 issue and disseminate leaflets, printed in ItaHan, exhorting the 

 immigrants to respect the laws and to conform to the usages of 

 their hosts, and appealing to them to practise kindness, not 

 cruelty, to wild creatures. These leaflets seem to have good 

 results. It has been found necessary in some States to impose 

 a I5-dollar gun licence on non-naturalised aliens. 



The one good law in Italy — if only it were enforced — is that 

 prohibiting the selling, buying, carrying, or possessing every sort 

 of " cacciagione " — huntable creatures — during close season. 



Totally inadequate as the Italian legislation is in every respect, 

 it is chiefly unsatisfactory in that it seems based on no sort of 

 recognition of either the utiHty of birds, or of their beauty or 

 moral value. No effort is made to retain the choicest songster. 

 Goldfinch and Blackcap and Robin, at one penny each, hang in 

 bunches in the markets. 



The refusal of the Italian Government to agree to the articles 

 of the Paris Convention in 1902 is difficult to reconcile with its 

 attitude during the initial stages which led to that Convention. 



Some allowance for their insufficient legislation must be made 

 to the ItaUans, if it is remembered how young a country is 

 United Italy ; in many other respects besides birds, their laws 

 are not united into one code. 



Lovers of Nature must hope that the Italian Government 

 will no longer delay to protect the people against itself, 

 and will initiate, by a wise legislation, the stamping out of 

 customs which are an anachronism and a stain on the civility of 

 the nation, besides constituting a grave injustice to other nations. 



The importance of the question and the conditions under 

 which migratory birds pass, make it imperative that there should 

 be general international agreement for their protection when on 

 migration. And no scheme of international protection can be 

 efficacious without the co-operation of Italy. 



