The Rationale of Bird Protection. 625 



British New Guinea. — By the Ordinance (No. 2 of 1894) for 

 the Protection of Wild Birds, the Administrator may issue 

 proclamations prohibiting the destruction or capture of all 

 or any wild birds ; the penalty may be £10 or a month's 

 imprisonment. Special permits may be given to kill birds, 

 but these must specify the bird to be destroyed, the locality 

 and period during which the killing - may take place. By the 

 Bird Collectors' Ordinance of 1897, the destroying or 

 capturing by any means without a licence, of birds existing 

 in a wild state, is forbidden for any object, except for using 

 them as food or stopping them from doing mischief. 



Fiji. — By the Ordinance (No. 6, 1895J for the protection of 

 birds, a Close Time for any native game or wild birds, men- 

 tioned in the Schedule, is fixed for September 30th to March 1st. 

 Hawks and Parrots may, however, be destroyed by a person 

 in his own garden or premises. Permission to collect 

 specimens of natural history may be given. The penalty for 

 illegally taking birds or eggs, or having them in possession, 

 during the Close Time, may be £5 or a month's imprisonment, 

 with or without hard labour. The Schedale includes about 

 twenty species, among which are the Starling, Lark, Thrush, 

 Blackbird, and Plover, with their eggs. Preserves may be 

 created. 



New Zealand. — The principal Act of 1880 (No. 18) gives 

 protection to indigenous birds and fixes certain Close Seasons 

 for scheduled birds. 



The Act of 1886 gives to the Governor power to protect 

 any bird indigenous to the Colony. 



In 1892, the sea-birds and their eggs on the Titi and 

 Stewart Islands were protected. 



An Act of 1902 (No. 25), however, makes it the duty of 

 local authorities to take effective action for the destruction of 

 birds gazetted by the Grovernment as "injurious," provision 

 being made for concerted action, and the laying of poisoned 

 grain is permitted. In case of default, an inspector may be 

 appointed to do the work. 



The Act of 1903 alters the Close Season for the G-odwit. 



Africa. 

 Gape Colony.— -The Act of 1899 (No. 42) enables the 



