216 THE CAUSE OF THE BIRDS 



had already carried into effect most of the measures 

 which the other States were binding themselves to do. 

 Moreover, wild birds, at least singing birds, are not 

 persecuted for food in the British Islands as they are 

 in many European countries, and ample powers have 

 been put into the hands of County Councils to check 

 the ravages of professional bird-catchers. 



Nevertheless it is to be regretted that Great Britain 

 should appear to desert the cause of bird protection 

 by declining to subscribe to the International Con- 

 vention. There is, indeed, crying and growing need 

 for a remedy against the evil of wholesale netting at 

 night, which has already practically exterminated ruffs 

 and reeves on [our coasts, and is now working sad 

 destruction in the flocks of that most useful bird, the 

 lapwing. We require the prohibition, to which the 

 subscribing States have bound themselves under 

 Article III. of the Convention, viz. : 



'The construction and employment of traps, cages, nets, 

 nooses, lime-twigs, or any other kind of instrument used for 

 the purpose of rendering easy the wholesale capture or 

 destruction of birds, shall be forbidden.' 



Discrimination between useful and hurtful, pro- 

 tected and unprotected, birds is impossible in using 

 long and high nets set up on poles after dark on the 

 shore and mudflats for the capture of wild-fowl. The 

 use of these is extending in this country, and will 

 soon render many desirable species scarce which are 

 still plentiful. 



The Italian Government announced at the Paris 



