The Audubon Societies 



59 



make at least two patrol trips each year to 

 the outlying islands of the Hawaiian group 

 to break up or prevent further depredations. 

 The officers and men stationed on Midway 

 have strict orders to protect the bird colonies 

 there. The fishing rights to certain of the 

 outlying islands will be let only by the Ter- 

 ritory, with special clauses protecting the 

 bird colonies thereon ; while the Japanese 

 government will, in future, refuse to allow 

 predatory hunting and fishing vessels to leave 

 Japanese ports." 



Philippine Islands. — A valued correspon- 

 dent, who is an officer of the United States 

 Army, writes of the bird conditions in the 

 Philippines as follows: "As far as bird 

 destruction is concerned in these islands, I 

 think there is practically or even absolutely 

 none; for this there are many reasons. To 

 possess a firearm of any kind one must have a 

 special license obtainable only from Manila. 

 Wild birds or any part of them are not used, 

 as far as I have ever observed, by the natives 

 for any purpose whatever. No native has 

 energy enough to hunt for pleasure, even if he 

 should have a gun. There is no tendency or 

 capacity among the natives to take up any 

 new industry. Hemp, rice, tobacco, sugar, 

 fish, — nothing else practically. They never 

 indulge in sport, as we understand it, except 

 cock-fighting and a little introduced horse- 

 racing. There are very few foreigners out- 

 side the big cities, and they are nearly all 

 agents of the hemp, rice and tobacco houses, 

 etc. I doubt whether a commercial skin has 

 ever been shipped." 



Mr. Richard C. McGregor, of the Philip- 

 pine Bureau of Science, Manila, confirms 

 the above opinion in the following words: 

 "I think there are very few birds destroyed 

 here; with the very rigid law on firearms, it 

 is not probable that many species of birds 

 will be hard pressed." 



Notes and News 



Plume Sales.* — Bird- of - Paradise skins 

 and 'Osprey ' featherswere again in large sup- 

 ply at the Commercial Salerooms on October 



*From 'Bird Notes and News,' Vol. z. No. 4, igo6, 

 London, England. 



16, over 5,700 of the former being catalogued 

 and nearly all sold. Of 'Osprey' feathers 

 there were 485 packages, described as East 

 Indian, Rangoon, Chinese, Venezuelan, Bra- 

 zilian and Senegal ; "short selected" reached 

 as much as ^8 per oz., "mixed heron" went 

 as low as 4^^. and G%A. The miscellane- 

 ous bird skins were almost all South 

 American. Forty cases of quills included 

 wing-quills of Pelicans, Swans, Albatrosses, 

 Eagles, Hawks, etc., and tail-feathers of 

 Buzzards and other birds of prey. At the 

 sale on December 11, there were offered 

 about 3 ,600 Birds-of-Paradise, 265 packages 

 of 'Osprey' feathers, and 5,278 wing-quills 

 of various birds. The miscellaneous skins, 

 etc., included a very large number of heads 

 of the Crowned Pigeon. 



Cage-Birds. — Occasionally dealers think 

 that the vigilance of the National Associa- 

 tion is relaxed in respect to cage-birds. Re- 

 cently some dealers in Philadelphia thought 

 it would be safe to offer for sale Cardinals 

 and Mockingbirds. This was called to the 

 attention of the Pennsylvania Game Com- 

 mission, who promptly arraigned three 

 dealers, two of whom paid fines, while the 

 third has been foolish enough to appeal from 

 the decision of the lower court. 



Educational Leaflets. — There is a con- 

 stantly increasing demand for our educa- 

 tional leaflets, which is not entirely confined 

 to the United States. A request was received 

 from N. GestGee, Soochow University, Soo- 

 chow, China, and also from Mr. C. C. 

 James, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, 

 Ontario, Canada, who says, "perhaps these 

 leaflets may be of use in connection with our 

 school work." MissStebbins, Superintendent 

 of Nature Work in the schools of Spring- 

 field, Mass., writes: "Your leaflets have 

 been examined. They contain much of the 

 information which I have found it rather dif- 

 ficult to put into the hands of my teachers. 

 There are eleven school buildings, contain- 

 ing grade VII, in which we are especially 

 pushing the matter of the economic value of 

 birds ; and we not only could, but should be 

 delighted to have an opportunity to use your 

 leaflets there. If you will send full sets to 



