BIRD-PROTECTION BY GOVERNMENTS 203 



The constitutionality of this law has been chal- 

 lenged and the matter has been brought to the 

 Supreme Court of the United States, but the de- 

 cision has not yet been given. Careful students of 

 the law believe that it will stand the test of con- 

 stitutionality. 



Tariff regulations. At the first session of Congress 

 in 1913 bird-lovers fought and won another great 

 battle for the birds. Congress in its revision of the 

 tariff adopted the following schedule prohibiting 

 the importation of feathers : — 



Provided, that importation of aigrettes, egret plumes, 

 or so called osprey plumes, and the feathers, quills, heads, 

 wings, tails, skins, and parts of skins of wild birds, either 

 raw or manufactured, and not for scientific or educational 

 purposes is hereby prohibited, but this provision shall not 

 apply to the feathers of domestic fowls of any kind. 



When the matter was under consideration by the 

 House Committee on Ways and Means, friends of 

 bird-protection appeared before it asking that the 

 importation of feathers be prohibited. This was 

 adopted by the House and the bill was sent to the 

 Senate. The Senate Finance Committee made such 

 radical changes as to make the provision worthless 

 for the purpose originally intended. The friends of 

 bird-protection made strenuous efforts to have the 

 tariff provision inserted as it came from the House, 

 and the Senators were deluged with letters and 

 telegrams demanding that this provision be retained 



