THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE PLUMAGE 

 TRADE IN THE DUTCH EAST INDIES 



The visit to New York in March, 1918, of Mr. P. G. van Tienhoven, 

 en route from the Far East to his home in Holland, afforded a rare 

 opportunity to obtain fresh and first-hand information regarding the 

 plumage trade in the Malay Archipelago. Mr. van Tienhoven is a 

 member of the Committee appointed by the Royal Zoological Society 

 of Amsterdam to take up with the Netherlands government the whole 

 question of an embargo on plume-gathering in the Dutch Possessions 

 of the Far East, and the matter has been diligently pursued. 



The results actually achieved up to date, and the prospects of 

 further results in the future are clearly set forth in the following 

 communication, prepared by Mr. van Tienhoven, for this Statement. 

 Mr. van Tienhoven's map is also reproduced. Its black-line enclosures 

 show the "paradise" bird sanctuaries described in the text. 



W. T. H. 



VEREENIGING TOT BEHOUD VAN 



NATURMONUMENTEN 



IN NEDERLAND 



Amsterdam, April 24th, 1918. 

 Dear Dr. Hornaday : 



In pleasant remembrance of our meeting in New York, I 

 now take pleasure in giving you a statement of conditions 

 as I found them on my trip through the East Indies, con- 

 cerning the shooting of and the trade in Paradise birds, and 

 also the suggestions made by me to our Government. 



In the first place, I ascertained that our Colonial Govern- 

 ment is quite aware of the necessity for the prevention of 

 bird destruction; and that during the last few years sev- 

 eral important measures have been taken to preserve the 

 different kinds. Drastic measures adopted at once would 

 cause serious economic difficulties. The wild tribes in New 

 Guinea (the Papuans), in their present primitive state of 

 development, to a large extent earn their living through the 



