Cl)e Audubon ^octette^ 



" y'ou cannot with a scalpel find the poet' s soul. 

 Nor yet the wild bird's song." 



Edited by MRS. MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT and WILLIAM DUTCHER 

 Communications relating to the work of the Audubon and other Bird Protective Societies should 

 be addressed to Mrs. Wright, at Fairfield, Conn. Reports, etc., designed for this department should be 

 sent at least one month prior to the date of publication. 



Bird Protection Abroad— IV. Japan 

 By T. S. Palmer 



In previous papers of this series attention 

 has been called to the bird-protective meas- 

 ures in force in three important British pos- 

 sessions of the Old World: India, South 

 Australia and New Zealand.* By way of 

 contrast it may be interesting to present an 

 outline of the regulations adopted in Japan, 

 a country which is not only attracting much 

 attention at the present time but one which 

 in recent years has been an important source 

 of supply for certain birds used in the 

 millinery trade. 



The Japanese Empire comprises nearly 

 4,000 islands, which extend from 22° to 50" 

 north latitude. Omitting Formosa, which 

 has only recently been acquired, the four 

 principal islands are Kiushu, Shikoku, 

 Hondo, and Yesso or Hokkaido. These 

 islands are situated between 31° and 46°, 

 thus corresponding in latitude to the Pacific 

 coast of America from the Gulf of California 

 to the Columbia River. Their combined 

 area equals approximately that of Montana, 

 or of New England and the Middle States 

 exclusive of Pennsylvania. Their topog- 

 raphy is varied, and the diverse conditions 

 existing at elevations between sea-level and 

 over 12,000 feet, together with the extent in 

 latitude, readily account for the variety in 

 bird life. The birds are, however, still im- 

 perfectly known and the distribution of many 

 of the species remains to be worked out. 



The general game- law of Japan recog- 

 nizes two main groups of birds, those which 

 may be hunted during an open season and 

 those which are protected throughout the 

 year. These groups correspond to our 

 game birds and non-game birds. For the 

 first group two seasons are fixed : For 

 Pheasants in general, A'///, and Copper 



*See BiRD-I.ORE. V. pp. i7. to5. I75. IQOJ : VI, p. 

 ?6, 1904. 



(I 



Pheasants, Yamadori, the close season ex- 

 tends from March 1 to October 31 ; for the 

 other game birds it extends from April 16 

 to October 14, except on \'esso, where it 

 is one month shorter — from April 16 to 

 September 14. Thus six or seven months 

 are allowed for hunting the following birds: 

 Bulbuls, Hiyo; Gray Starlings, Mukudori ; 

 Larks, Hibari ; Shrikes, AIozu ; Ptarmi- 

 gan, Raicho; Quail, Uzura; Hazel Grouse, 

 Ezoyamadori ; Doves and Pigeons, Hato ; 

 and Snipe and Woodcock, S/iii(i. 



The birds which are protected throughout 

 the year, and consequently of most interest 

 in this connection, are the following : 

 Cranes, Tsuru ; Swallows, except Martins, 

 Tsubame ; Marsh Tit, Kogara ; Coal Tit, 

 Higara ; Great Tit, Shijukara ; Nuthatch, 

 Gojukara : Long - tailed Tit, Enaga ; 

 Eastern Gold - crest, Kikuitadaki ; Fan- 

 tailed Warbler, Sekka ; Willow Warbler, 

 Mus/iikui: Japanese Blue Flycatcher, Ruri: 

 Flycatchers, Hitaki ; Paradise Flycatcher, 

 Sankocho ; Wagtails, Sekirei : Wrens. 

 Misosazai ; Little Cuckoo, Hototogisii ; 

 Cuckoo, Kakko ; Goatsucker, Yotaka ; 

 Scops Owl, Mimizuku; Ural Owl, Fukuro; 

 Siberian Black Kite, Tobi; and Common 

 Buzzard, Kusoiobi. It is also unlawful to 

 take, buy or sell the eggs or young of any 

 of these birds. 



The Japanese game- law contains some 

 admirable features which are found in some 

 of our state laws and which it would be 

 advantageous for us to make more general. 

 Thus explosives, poisons, spring guns, 

 pitfalls and dangerous traps are not to be 

 used in capturing game ; shooting between 

 sunset and sunrise is prohibited ; per- 

 mission must be obtained to hunt on culti- 

 vated or enclosed lands belonging to another 

 person ; no hunting is allowed in the Im- 

 perial preserves, along public roads, in 

 public parks, in cemeteries, or within the 



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