58 



the guidance of both parents for months. The hostility to Owls, 

 too, seems unaccountable. 



WORKING OF LAWS. 



A glance at the above summaries suflfices to show that Austria, 

 Hungary, Germany, and Switzerland are the countries of Europe 

 that have the most complete and sufficient schemes of bird- 

 protection. In respect, too, of the education in bird lore of the 

 school children excellent work has been, and is being, carried on. 

 It is in these countries, too, that the laws are observed. The nations 

 that treat wild birds as food or vermin are also indifferent as to 

 the laws, w^hether they are upheld or not. So that the esteem 

 in which birds are held seems to give a scale by which the civiliza- 

 tion of a people can be measured. 



EXCEPTIONS IN FAVOUR OF SCIENCE. 



The statutes of the four above-named countries, equally 

 with those of the Audubon Societies, allow for the exceptional 

 taking or kilHng of specimens for scientific purposes, and there 

 seems every reason to believe that these regulations are answering 

 well. They all compare weU with our Wild Birds Protection 

 Act. 



THE LAWS IN FORCE IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



It is not surprising that foreign ornithologists should be puzzled 

 at the British schedule omitting most of the best songsters, 

 and most of the specially useful insect-eaters, whilst it includes 

 many fish-eaters considered noxious in other countries. For 

 elasticity the Act is unsurpassable, because of the powers given 

 the Secretary of State to extend the time of protection, or to 

 protect any species for any period or in particular places, on 

 application from local authorities giving special reasons. The 

 basis of the Act is local option, but it may well be doubted 

 whether in our small populous island this system affords to birds 

 the protection they need. It certainly complicates the adminis- 

 tration of the law, and renders prosecution difficult in cases of 

 offences committed on the borders of districts having different 

 laws. 



That a general legislation %vill not alw^ays meet a local require- 

 ment is undoubtedly true. But, instead of allowing local authori- 

 ties to ask for increased legislation, when they deem it necessary — 

 a process entailing certain delay and possible refusal — better 



