Birds as Food 



in January 1915 the Imperial authorities 

 decreed a prolongation of the open season 

 for PHEASANTS. Ordinarily the season closed 

 on February ist ; the new regulation extended 

 the date to March ist. The same decree 

 abolished, for the duration of the War, cer- 

 tain restrictions on the sale and shipment of 

 GAME shot in the province of Hanover, which 

 abounds in well-stocked preserves, including 

 several of the Kaiser's favourite shooting- 

 boxes (Daily Mail, 11.1.15). The Grand 

 Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz gave orders 

 that GAME in his forests was no longer to be 

 exported but that it was to be reserved 

 exclusively for sale within the Duchy or 

 given to hospitals, and orders were issued to 

 shoot more GAME than usual (Kolnische 

 Zeitung, 8.x. 15). In May 1916 the German 

 Government ordered CROWS, SPARROWS, STAR- 

 LINGS, STORKS and ROOKS to be killed for 

 food (Westminster Gazette, I3.v.i6), and the 

 retail price of a ROOK at this period is alleged 

 to have varied from is. to is. 6d. (Daily Mail, 



As regards Great Britain : a Bill was 

 43 



