ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



It was about two years ago, immediately fol- 

 lowing the great victory in the United States 

 over the feather trade of the world, that Dr. 

 Hornadaj- addressed a formal memorial to the 

 Royal Zoological Society of Amsterdam, calling 

 the attention of that powerful organization to 

 tiie alarming exportations of skins of birds of 

 paradise, crown pigeons and other species of 

 birds from the Dutch East Indies. It was 

 strongly urged that the Netherlands Govern- 

 ment should be asked to protect its colonial bird 

 fauna by prohibiting all exportations of skins 

 and plumage save a few for educational pur- 

 poses. 



While the subject was not a new one to the 

 Royal Zoological Society, the American victory 

 gave opportunity for a new attack. Through 

 the keen initiative of Dr. C. Kerbert, director 

 of the Amsterdam Zoological Gardens, and Prof. 

 ]Max Weber, a commission was immediately 

 formed by the Royal society to start a new 

 movement and to pursue it. A report upon con- 

 ditions in the Dutch East Indies and also gen- 

 eral assistance was sought of Dr. J. C Kon- 

 ingsberger, the director of the botanical gardens 

 at Buitenzorg, Java, who, in the interim, has 

 journeyed to Holland and returned to Java. 



During all the time intervening Dr. Kerbert 

 has reported satisfactor_y progress and predicted 

 important results. The director of the New 

 York Zoological Park recently received from 

 iiim the news that a sweeping and almost com- 

 plete protective measure has been extended to 

 the birds of the Dutch East Indies. The fol- 

 lowing is the text of the letter: 



Amsterdam, Jul}' 1^, 1915. 



Tn William T. Ilonuidaii, Esq., New York. 

 Dear Sir: 



We are pleased to be able to iiifonii you tliat the 

 committee for the advancement of a prohibition of 

 the export of birds and parts of birds from the Dutch 

 colonies has received from the corresponding member 

 of the committee. Dr. J. C. Koningsberger, director 

 of " "s Lands Plantentuln" at Buitenzorg, Java, the 

 following information about the sliooting of bii'ds 

 of paradise: 



1. This year (and probably also in future) tlie 

 shooting is limited to these species: Paradisea minor, 

 Seleucides nigricans and Ptilornis magnificus. The 

 export of sl<in.s of all other species is prohibited by 

 the Dutch Colonial Government, and. these skins have 

 therefore no ciiniuiercial value. 



2. Shooting is totally prohibited in the islands of 

 tlie Hadja Anipat group (Misole, Salawiitti, Katanta 

 and Waigoli) and in those of the Geelvinli Bay in 

 New Guinea, as well as in two large reservations on 

 New Guinea, on both sides of the Geelvink Bay. 



By these means the protection of the rarer birds 

 of paradise is obtained, and we have every hope that 



in future the shooting of all birds of paradise will 

 be totally stopped. 



Sincerely yours, 



C. Kerblkt, ClHilrmdii. 

 I.T. DE Beaufort. SccrctKri/. 



In plain English, the three species not yet 

 fully protected in all areas are the lesser bird 

 of paradise, the twelve wired bird of paradise 

 and the rifle bird. Inasmuch as bird protection 

 never loses ground, and always gains in public 

 favor, it is safe to predict that within a reason- 

 able time all the birds of the Dutch East Indies 

 will receive the complete protection that an em- 

 bargo on exportations easily can afford. 



In this connection is to be noted that on Jan- 

 uary 1, 191.5, a law proiiibiting the importation 

 of wild birds' plumage for commercial purposes 

 went into effect over the whole Dominion of 

 Canada; and thus the prohibition now covers 

 all North America nortii of Mexico. 



PROTECTION FUND FOR WILD ANI- 

 MAL LIFE. 



The permanent wild life protection fund, 

 which \\'. T. Ilornaday has been instrumental 

 in collecting during the past two years, now 

 amounts to more than $8i,7.50. The income of 

 this fund is to be used for conducting a nation- 

 wide campaign during the next hundred years 

 in behalf of wild life protection. Efforts will 

 be made to stop the sale of wild game, promote 

 laws to jjrevent unnaturalized aliens from own- 

 ing or using rifles and shotguns, stop all spring 

 and late winter shooting, stop all killing of 

 insectivorous birds for food and of all birds for 

 millinery purposes, increase the number of game 

 preserves, etc. It is proposed to inaugurate next 

 September, a campaign in favor of creating 

 game sanctuaries in the national forests on a 

 very comprehensive scale. — Scientific American. 



SUCCESSFUL BIRD INSTALLATION. 



That most captive birds are happier in large 

 cages is a fact whicii has been amply demon- 

 strated in the Zoological Park. A comparison 

 of the condition of the small finches, weavers 

 and waxbills in our large aviaries with that of 

 birds kept in the usual small cages is convinc- 

 ing evidence. Some of these atoms have in- 

 habited their present quarters for considerably 

 more than five years, and still are in perfect 

 health. The thrushes also are inflnitely better 

 in roomy cages, as they are inherently wild. 



