The Audubon Societies 



295 



NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES 



Shortly after the passage of the Federal 

 Migratory Bird Law in 19 13, the United 

 States Secretary of Agriculture appointed 

 an Advisory Committee to cooperate with 

 the Department of Agriculture in the mat- 

 ter of preparing rules and regulations 

 covering the killing of migratory birds. 

 Recently this Committee was enlarged by 

 the addition of five state game commission- 

 ers. The committee as at present consti- 

 tuted stands as follows: John B. Burnham, 

 New York City, Chairman; William I^. 

 Finley, Portland, Ore.; E. H. Forbush, 

 Boston, Mass.; Edward G. Bradford, Jr., 

 Wilmington, Del.; Dr. William T. Horna- 

 day. New York City; Marshall McLean, 

 Albany, N. Y.; T. Gilbert Pearson, New 

 York City; George Shiras, 3rd, Washing- 

 ton, D. C; John C. Speaks, Columbus, 

 Ohio; John H. Wallace, Jr., Montgomery, 

 Ala.; Clinton M. Odell, Minneapolis, 

 Minn.; Clark McAdams, St. Louis, Mo.; 

 M. L. Alexander, New Orleans, La.; 

 William R. Gates, Lansing, Mich.; W. E. 

 Barber, Madison, Wis.; William C. Adams, 

 Boston, Mass.; Carl Westerfeld, San Fran" 

 Cisco, Cal.; George G. Koster, Lincoln, 

 Neb.; E. C. Hinshaw, Spirit Lake, Iowa; 

 Brooke Anderson, Chicago, 111.; George 

 Bird Grinnell, New York City. 



This Advisory Committee has had 

 various meetings, and many of their recom- 

 mendations have been adopted by the 



Department of Agriculture. The last 

 meeting of the Committee was held at St. 

 Paul, Minn., on August 29, 191 7, and the 

 Biological Survey, representing the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, is now considering its 

 recommendations. A new set of regulations 

 are expected to be issued and signed by 

 the President some time this fall. 



After the ratification of the treaty be- 

 tween the United States and Canada in 

 reference to migratory birds, the Canadian 

 Government, by an order in Council, 

 dated December 28, 1916, appointed an 

 interdepartmental Advisory Board for the 

 purpose of formulating plans regarding the 

 protection and use of the wild bird and 

 animal life of Canada. It is one of the 

 duties of this Committee to advise on 

 questions relating to the protection of 

 birds under the treaty. This Board con- 

 sists of: James White, Assistant to the 

 Chairman of the Conservation Commis- 

 sion; D. C. Scott, Deputy Superintendent 

 of Indian Affairs; Dr. C. G. Hewitt, Do- 

 minion Entomologist; Dr. R. M. Anderson, 

 Geological Survey; J. B. Harkin, Commis- 

 sioner of Dominion Forests. 



It will be noted that the Advisory Com- 

 mittee of the United States is composed 

 exclusively of men who have no position 

 in connection with the Government, but 

 the Advisory Board of Canada is composed 

 entirely of officials. 



VENEZUELA TO PROTECT EGRETS 



Venezuela has recently passed a law 

 governing the collection and exploitation 

 of Heron aigrettes. The law provides that 

 such feathers may not be collected except 

 in the heronries at the time of moulting 

 from July to November inclusive. The 

 word "heronry" is defined as meaning 

 one of those places near lakes, bayous, or 

 rivers where Herons periodically come to 

 nest. The killing or trapping of Herons is 

 prohibited at all times and seasons. 



Collectors of customs shall not permit 

 the exportation of Heron feathers without 

 having satisfied themselves by an examina- 



tion in the presence of the exporter that 

 such feathers are actually moulted feath- 

 ers, and were not pulled from caught or 

 slaughtered birds. As moulted feathers 

 are easily distinguishable fi'om pulled 

 feathers, the Minister of Fomento is 

 directed to furnish each custom-house with 

 samples of feathers obtained by each 

 process. These dropped feathers are 

 known as "dead" aigrettes, and command 

 a price of only about one-fifth the amount 

 that milliners will pay for "live" feathers 

 taken from the birds. 



The exportation of Egret feathers, or 



