174 



Bird -Lore 



The animals and birds accorded protec- 

 tion are mentioned by name in two sched- 

 ules of ' game ' and ' native game.' Game 

 includes Pheasants, Partridges, Grouse, 

 Ptarmigan, Quail, Snipe, Plover, Swans 

 and imported Wild Ducks; native game 

 comprises Quail, Pigeon, ' Tui ' or Parson 

 Bird, Curlew, Dotterel!, Pied and Black 

 Stilt, Plover, Bittern, Geese and Wild 

 Ducks. These somewhat meager lists can 

 be extended or curtailed by declaration of the 

 Governor, who, under an important amend- 

 ment made in 1886, is authorized to prohibit 

 the killing of any native bird absolutely or 

 for such time as may be deemed necessary. 

 Under the act of 1880 the open season for 

 game was limited to three months. May, 

 June and July (corresponding to an open 

 season during November, December and 

 January in the United States), while that 

 for native game lasted four months, and was 

 fixed by notification of the Governor. This 

 arrangement was changed in 1900 by mak- 

 ing one fixed season for both game and 

 native game in May, June and July, except 

 for the District of Otago, in the southern- 

 most part of the South Island, where the 

 season begins in April and closes on the 

 last day of June. Poisoning, trapping, 

 snaring, hunting at night, or using swivel 

 guns in the capture of game are all pro- 

 hibited under the original law. The sec- 

 tions relating to birds kept in confinement 

 are explicit but liberal, allowing birds to be 

 domesticated or kept for propagation, and 

 in such cases to be bought or sold at any 

 time. Under permits from the colonial 

 secretary, eggs or birds may be taken for 

 distribution to other parts of the colony. 

 An important provision prohibits absolutely 

 the introduction of certain species which are 

 considered injurious, namely: Foxes, hawks, 

 vultures, or other birds of prey and venomous 

 reptiles. A violation of this section is 

 punishable by the heaviest penalty men- 

 tioned in the act, a fine not exceeding ^100 

 ($500) or imprisonment for not more than 

 six months. 



The enforcement of the law is provided 

 for by heavy fines, appointment of rangers, 

 and by official recognition of acclimatization 

 societies. Fines range from ^^5 to ^20 



($25 to $100), and are graded according to 

 the offense. Thus, the penalty for destroy- 

 ing eggs or selling game in close season is 

 not more than ^5 ; for using a swivel gun, 

 not more than ^10; and for capturing or 

 selling game without a license, not more 

 than ^20. The money obtained from fines 

 is paid in part to rangers, in part to persons 

 instrumental in securing convictions, and in 

 part to registered acclimatization societies. 

 One or more rangers (corresponding to our 

 game wardens) may be appointed for each 

 district by the Governor, and any acclima- 

 tization society may become a registered i 

 society entitled to all the privileges apper- 

 taining thereto, by depositing a copy of its 

 rules in the office of the colonial secretary. 

 It may be interesting to note that fish and 

 game associations are rarely given such offi- 

 cial recognition in the United States or 

 Canada; the most notable exceptions being 

 the Delaware Game Protective Association, 

 the Audubon Society of North Carolina, 

 and the Nova Scotia Game and Inland 

 Fishery Protective Society. In these three 

 cases these associations are the official repre- 

 sentatives of the state in enforcing the 

 game laws. 



{To be concluded.) 



Annual Conference of Audubon Societies 

 The Annual Conference of Audubon 

 Societies will be held in Philadelphia some 

 time during the week beginning November 

 16, 1903. Due notice of the place and ex- 

 act time of the meeting will be sent to the 

 secretaries of all the societies by the chair- 

 man of the National Committee. 



Protection for tfie Night-hawk in the 

 South 



The Night-hawk, or Bullbat, has been so 

 long considered a legitimate target for shot- 

 gun practice, in the south, that a report of 

 prosecution for killing these birds at Greens- 

 boro, North Carolina, marks the beginning 

 of a new epoch of bird protection in our 

 southern states. Incidentally, we may add, 

 it is evidence of the effective activity of the 

 North Carolina Audubon Society under 

 Professor Pearson's leadership. 



