April 29, 1920], 



Nm:UiK£ 



263- 



any scienlitic man contest this view ?j in respect to 

 the closure of areas." This is stated by Prof. 

 Mcintosh to be the first item in the scheme of 

 investigations, whereas no such general scientific 

 investigation is recommended. Whether or not the 

 fisheries of the North Sea will be permanently altered 

 by the closure consequent on the war no one knows, 

 but certainly trawlers have been experiencing the 

 immediate benefit of the closure since the armistice. 

 The extent to which the North Sea is covered by the 

 operations of trawlers is evidently not Understood. 

 The work of Masterman, Heincke, and others results 

 in the estimate that 1500 million plaice of more than 

 12 cm. live in the North Sea, of which one-third are 

 caught annually, 200 million being put on the market 

 and 300 million being destroyed in the process of 

 catching. 



Again, Prof. Mcintosh refers to one part only of the 

 proposal for the protection of plaice, viz. that by a 

 size limit, whereas the permanent closure of certain 

 areas " to provide a reserve from which the young 

 plaice mifjht spread so as to restock the open 

 grounds" is definitely mentioned in my article. Prof. 

 Mcintosh apparently does not realise that the repre- 

 sentatives of at least three of the four countries that are 

 particularly interested in the plaice stock of the North 

 Sea are convinced that the evidence shows that the 

 plaice stock is, under normal conditions, being so 

 seriously depleted by man that international legisla- 

 tive action is essential. In view of such action, the 

 proposed year's intensive plaice investigation is fully 

 justified. We wonder whether Prof. Mcintosh has 

 examined the statistics that have been published in 

 respect to the plaice and other flat-fishes year by year? 

 Prof. Mcintosh scoffs at the basal researches on 

 the physico-chemical conditions of sea-water in respect 

 to the life in the sea as likely to be of any import- 

 ance. He selects in particular "vitamines." His 

 remarks should be read in connection with my para- 

 graph to which he refers. It is self-evident that even 

 the largest quantity of food can be of no use to a 

 living animal unless that animal has the requisite 

 power to build up that food into its own living matter. 

 The understanding of this at every age of the animals 

 in question — and of animal life in general — is the 

 object of these researches. There seems to be no 

 such thing as "pure sea-water " without "vitamines." 

 It may not be generally known that an almost 

 judicial committee appointed by the Development 

 Commission is at present sitting on the question of 

 fisherv research. There is no member of that com- 

 mittee employed in fishery research, and, equally, 

 there is no member of the committee whp is in- 

 capable, by training or otherwise, of understanding 

 anv parts of the problems to be investigated. The 

 report of that committee should shortlv be issued. 

 It will doubtless be an authoritative pronouncement 

 upon the whole question as to the utility or non- 

 utilitv of fisherv investigations as proposed by the 

 International Council and as undertaken by the 

 Fisherv Departments of England, Scotland, and 

 Ireland. X. Y. Z. 



The Plumage Bill and Bird Protection. 



Nature is doing a service to science, as well as to 

 c, in having opened its pages to the discussion of 

 the Plumage (Prohibition) Bill. For in the end the 

 Bill should be drafted in harmony with the scientific 

 facts concerning the bird-life it is designed to protect, 

 and also with due regard for the aesthetic and decora- 

 tive needs of mankind. There is one aspect of the 

 subject which has hitherto been only lightly touched 

 upon, but which, if unfettered, is siire to become of 

 NO. 2635, VOL. 105] 



j^reat importance in the future, namely, the domestica- 

 tion of plumage birds. Impressed with the sticcfess' 

 of its ostrich industry, South Africa has for some ' 

 time turned its attention to the po.ssibility of the 

 domestication of other plumage birds. Experiments 

 have already demonstrated that the marabou stork 

 can be controlled in captivity and, in all probability, 

 induced to breed. Attention has also been directed to 

 the gregarious weaver-birds and other brightly coloured 

 species; but the advent of war turned men's thoughts 

 away from the arts of peace. 



In all the considerations no biological diflicultv 

 presented itself which a thorough study of the nature 

 and habits of the bird could not be expected to over- 

 come; the chief problems were economic, namely, 

 how profitably to produce the plumage in sufficient 

 quantity to comply with trade requirements, so admir- 

 ably met in the case of the ostrich. On the authoHty 

 of Prof. Lefroy we learn that there are many egret 

 farms in India, and the plumes are procured without 

 cruelty ; domestication of the same bird has also been 

 considered in parte of Africa. With the encourage- 

 ment which ornithologists could give, there is every 

 likelihood that in the future great developments will 

 take place in the production of domesticated plumage, 

 procured in harmony with the highest humane senti-" 

 ments and to the exclusion of plumage from the wild 

 bird — a realisation which would be peculiarly accept- 

 able to the trade as well as to zoologists. 



Now if the Plumage Bill were passed in its present 

 form it would close the door on all efforts of this 

 kind, at any rate so far as importation into England 

 is concerned. Sir Harry Johnston indicates that, as 

 a compensation, plumage might be procured from a 

 dozen or more kinds of our domestic birds ; but surely, 

 in these days of Empire considerations, he would not 

 wish us to isolate ourselves in prejudice from the 

 Dominions overseas, as well as from the products of 

 other countries? — a result which would follow from 

 the carrying out of his suggestion. 



Nor is this necessary. A study of the situation 

 reveals that all the reasonable requirements of the 

 supporters of the Bill can be met, and at the same 

 time the avenue be left open for the development 

 within the Empire of a trade in domesticated plumage. 

 Instead of asking for a prohibition of import of every 

 kind of plumage (except ostrich and eider-down), let 

 the prohibitionists and others interested in the pre- 

 servation of bird-life agree upon a list of birds the pro- 

 tection of which is desirable from any point of view, 

 and then have the list appended to the Bill as a schedule 

 of prohibitions. The carrying out of the intent of 

 the Bill on these lines would be a simple matter, and 

 additions to, and removals from, the schedule could 

 be made as circumstances demanded. Passed in this 

 form, the Bill would become a real stimulus to the 

 activities of the Royal Society for the Protection of 

 Birds and an effective measure for the inculcation of 

 humane principles and regard for bird-life generally. 



As Prof. Lefroy has shown, the trade has no con- 

 cern in avian rarities, but is prepared to work with 

 bird-lovers in the direction of their preservation and 

 in the discouragement of every kind of cruelty. 

 Before the war a list of prqhibited plumage had been 

 agreed upon bv the trade representatives in the lead- 

 ing European " capitals. When the matter of bird- 

 protection is discussed in a calm manner, with full 

 knowledge of the facts involved, it is seen that the 

 interests of the bird-lover and of the plumage trade 

 are alike, and the simple modification of the Bill sug- 

 gested above would meet the needs of all. 



J. E. DUERDF-V. 

 Rovnl Colonial Institute, 



Northurtiberland Avenue 



