618 Frank E. Lemon : 



and the Orders made thereunder are frequently misunder- 

 stood;, and the difficulty of enforcement often renders useful 

 legislation of but little value. To my mind the absolutely 

 contradictory criticisms which are levelled at these Acts are 

 a strong- indication that they are not far wrong-. At the 

 same time they are accused by some of going too far, and 

 by others of being useless and a dead letter. 



In the British Empire legislation has dealt with the 

 following ten points : — 



(1) Close Time with due regard to the interest of the 

 farmer on his land. This has been attempted by either 

 making a list of birds to receive special protection or, as in 

 South Australia in 1900, by protecting all birds and making 

 a list of birds to be exempted. 



(2) All the year round protection for such birds as require 

 it. Many lands give collector's licenses of varied extent, 

 to representatives of National and Scientific Museums and 

 others. 



(3) Protection of the eggs and nests of birds. 



(4) Creation of areas (reserves, preserves, or bird- 

 protected districts as they are variously denominated) 

 wherein all birds or all eggs, or both aro protected 

 (United Kingdom, 1896, etc.). 



(5) Possession and offering for sale rendered illegal. 



(6) Forbidding the use of pole-traps (United Kingdom, 

 1904), punt- or swivel-guns, and snares of various kinds. 



(7) Penalties of varying severity, from the reprimand of 

 the United Kingdom Act of 1880 to the fine of 200 dollars 

 in Newfoundland, or £25 plus £5 for each bird in South 

 Australia, or the month's imprisonment with hard labour 

 in Piji. 



(8) Forfeiture (in addition to fines and other penalties) 

 of the bird illegally taken (Jamaica since 1885, West 

 Australia since 1896, and United Kingdom since 1902), 

 and forfeiture of trap, gun, decoy-bird, swivel- or punt- 

 gun, etc. 



(9) Traffic in bird-skins forbidden (in Cyprus since 1883), 

 the sale of feathers rendered illegal (in Victoria since 

 1896), the sale of articles made from bird-skins or feathers 

 prohibited (South Australia since 1900). 



