278 NOVEMBER 



Government to assemble in Paris in June 1895. 

 Every European Government, except that of 

 Turkey, was represented, and we found the greatest 

 difficulty in persuading such of the delegates as had 

 never visited England to believe in the abundance of 

 bird life in our country. 



Our existing legislation provides for most of the 

 resolutions carried at the conference ; but there is 

 one point in which foreign nations invite our co- 

 operation, which ought not to be difficult to carry 

 out, namely, that we should prohibit the importa- 

 tion of birds scheduled as utiles a I 'agriculture, and 

 protected abroad. Why should the cultivated lands 

 of Holland and Belgium be stripped of their 

 feathered police, the lapwings, in order that Cock- 

 neys may eat them as golden plover ? 



