BULLETIN NUMBER ONE 19 



out the existing federal regulations. There are at least 

 four states that we can name that will joyously and exult- 

 ingly re-open spring shooting, and slaughter ducks and 

 geese every spring until May 1. But we will await the 

 event before naming those states. 



SUPPRESSION OF THE PLUMAGE /TRADE IN 

 THE DUTCH EAST INDIES 



The Government of Holland has taken steps of vast im- 

 portance to the birds of her East Indian possessions. The 

 great archipelago known as the Dutch East Indies, stretch- 

 ing from New Guinea to Sumatra and including both, has 

 a total length of 3,000 miles, and a breadth from north to 

 south of about 1,100 miles. 



In the summer of 1913 we memorialized the Royal Zoo- 

 logical Society of Holland and urged that steps be taken 

 by that society to induce the Netherlands government to 

 stop the exportation of all wild birds' plumage intended for 

 commercial purposes from all the islands of the Dutch 

 colonial possessions. A campaign to accomplish that pur- 

 pose was immediately undertaken in Amsterdam, and dili- 

 gently pursued. In July, 1915, we received the following 

 announcement of a great embargo on plumage exportations 

 — almost as sweeping and complete as the Royal Zoological 

 Society originally proposed: 



Amsterdam, July 13, 1915. 



To William T. Hornaday, Esq., Xew York. 

 Dear Sir: 



We are pleased to be able to inform you that the committee for 

 the advancement of a prohibition of the export of birds and 

 parts of birds from the Dutch colonies has received from the cor- 

 responding member of the committee, Dr. J. C. Konningsberger, 

 director of " 's Lands Plantentuin" at Buitenzorg, Java, the fol- 

 lowing information about the shooting of birds of paradise: 



1. This year (and probably also in future) the shooting is 

 limited to these species: Paradisea minor, Seleucides nigricans 



