85 Greai Fovwavd Movement in Bird Protection. fisf'oct 



Great Forward Movement in Bird Protection. 



At the Annual (Hobart) Session of the Australasian Ornithologists' 

 Union, held during November, 1903, a comparative statement of 

 the schedules of protected birds in the various States was presented, 

 and was referred to the Council for action {vide Emu, iii., p. 159). 



At the next Hobart session (1906) the burden of the president's 

 address, which was delivered by Colonel C. S. Ryan, was " The 

 Protection of Native Birds," in which he reviewed the history of 

 bird protection in America, and concluded with practical suggestions 

 for the betterment of bird protection within the Commonwealth 

 {vide Emu, vi., pp. 95-103). 



The following (1907) session was held at Sydney, when, in the 

 absence of the president (Mr. D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S.), who was travel- 

 ling abroad, Mr. A. J. Campbell, C.M.B.O.U., delivered the vice- 

 presidential address. Mr. Campbell took for his subject the history 

 of " Bird Protection in the Old World." In passing, he mentioned 

 that " Mr. A. H. E. Mattingley's graphic pen and picture description 

 published in The Emu* concerning the ruthless destruction of the 

 beautiful snow-white Herons in Riverina by the plume-hunters 

 should spur all bird-lovers into hot action," and succeeded in carry- 

 ing a resolution that at the next annual meeting, to be held in 

 Melbourne, November, 1908, it be made a " Bird Protection 

 Session," and that delegates be invited from the various States to 

 consider a " Model Bird Protection Bill," and that in the interim a 

 deputation from the Council of the A.O.U. wait upon the Hon. 

 Premier or the Hon. Minister of Agriculture, Victoria, on the 

 subject.-}- 



By a most fortunate coincidence, since the Sydney session quite a 

 " boom " has taken place in the direction of bird protection in 

 Australia, chiefly in consequence of the introduction into the British 

 Parliament of Lord Avebury's " Importation of Plumage Prohibi- 

 tion Bill " and the " Report of the Select Committee of the House 

 of Lords " thereon. While in England, Colonel C. S. Ryan, a 

 member of the Council of the A.O.U. and for two years its president, 

 was deputed by the representative of the Commonwealth of Aus- 

 tralia to give evidence before the committee with regard particularly 

 to the destruction of Egrets, Lyre-Birds, and Birds-of-Paradise.| 

 Regarding the last-mentioned birds, || Col. Ryan felt "perfectly 

 certain that Mr. Deakin would do everything that he possibly could 

 to stop their further destruction." 



The Commonwealth press warmly took the matter up, and, 

 amongst other journals, leaders appeared in the Melbourne Age 

 (2/7/08), the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin (25/7/08), the Mel- 

 bourne Argus (18/8/08), and the Melbourne Herald. 



* Vol. vii., pp. 71-73, and plates v.-viii. 

 t Vide Emu, vol. vii., p. 136. 

 X Vide Report, Minutes of Evidence, p. 32. 



II The first letter on this subject from the Council of the A.O.U. to Mr. Deakin was 

 dated 1 6th July, 1 907. 



