BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



13 



BIRD PROTECTION IN INDIA. 



The report of the Indian branch of the Society for the 

 Protection of Birds for 1902-3 gives an encouraging 

 account of the work accomplished through the efforts of 

 the Hon. Sec, Mr. W. Jesse, assisted by Mr. E. Comber 

 and Mr. Spence. After referring to the Bill passed by 

 the Supreme Government prohibiting the export of birds' 

 feathers and skins, save in certain cases, the report alludes 

 to the excellent results achieved by several energetic 

 societies for the protection of game and birds, notably, 

 by the Nilgiri Game and Fish Preservation Association, 

 which has "done wonders, not only in improving the 

 condition that existed in the hills of Southern India, but 

 in stirring up public opinion generally on the subject," 

 and also by the Mysore Game and Fish Preservation 

 Association. 



One of the difficulties encountered by the Society will 

 be appreciated by those familiar with the tactics of various 

 self-proclaimed friends of the native who, having an axe 

 of their own to grind, find it convenient to flaunt the 

 placard "rights of the people" on their whetstone. 



" It is to be feared" (says the report) " that not only 

 in Mysore, but in Hyderabad, where most excellent and 

 stringent (on paper) protection laws have been passed, 

 they are administered almost entirely with regard to the 

 European sportsman. The native shikari and meat 

 hunter are, as often as not, entirely unmolested, more 

 particularly if a little ' bakshish ' can be squeezed out of 

 them by the forest guard or police. While it is perfectly 

 right that any European, should he transgress the game 

 laws, be promptly brought to account, it is useless to 

 legislate unless some restriction is placed upon the pro- 

 fessional hunter . . . Numerous municipalities have passed 

 local bye-laws to protect the fauna, more especially during 

 the breeding season, but it is to be feared that they are in 

 most cases a dead letter . . . The native offender is rarely 

 caught. He is far too careful. If he is detected the 

 result in nine cases out of ten is a hopelessly inadequate 

 fine. The difficulty in imposing a suitable punishment is 

 admitted. When only an occasional delinquent is caught, 

 it means that numbers are escaping detection." 



In pressing for still more restriction on ignorant and 

 wanton slaughter, " we are not," the report continues, 

 "animated by any desire to prevent the native from 

 enjoying his rights. Rather, on the other hand, will a 

 careful protection of many insectivorous birds prove a 

 blessing to agriculturists. Fortunately, the average 

 Indian — other than the professional hunter and certain 

 wandering tribes — molests birds but little. To this has 

 been due the comparative immunity enjoyed by our 

 fauna. . . . The Government has appointed a special 

 entomologist to watch over the interests of the agricul- 

 turist and planter, and doubtless he will be able shortly 

 to give much valuable information as to the action of 

 birds in keeping down destructive insect plagues." 



In connection with the native aspect of bird protection, 

 it is interesting to learn from our Junagad Secretary, 

 Mr. Labhshanker Laxmidas, of the efforts made to stop 

 the sale of feathered caps in the bazaars. The leaders 

 of the Hindu community of Junagad have passed a 

 resolution that any Hindu shopkeeper found selling such 

 caps shall be fined six rupees. At the same time, in 

 order not to put the dealers to any unjust loss on caps 



already in stock, the framers of this decree purchased 

 the whole supply, and to-day, adds our correspondent, 

 "you cannot get a feathered cap for any price from a 

 Hindu dealer in the whole of the bazaars of this city." 

 As a further step some Hindu gentlemen have petitioned 

 the Government to make the sale of feathers illegal in 

 every part of British India. 



So stringent an edict as this is hardly likely to have 

 Government authority. Such a prohibition of the sale 

 of manufactured goods is contrary to British ideas, and 

 Englishmen would not willingly impose on their fellow- 

 subjects regulations they themselves would not stand ; 

 but Lord Curzon's edict will, no doubt, do much to 

 suppress the professional hunter, and further regulations 

 to provide a close season for all native wild birds of 

 India— thus preserving the species, and preventing cruelty 

 to nestlings — must be the aim of bird protectors. 



MUIRBURN. 



Comment was made in this Society's Report for 1902 

 upon the burning of gorse on the Welsh hills in close 

 time, and the consequent destruction of many birds and 

 nests ; but later correspondence encouraged the hope that 

 such fires were more often accidental than intentional 

 in their origin. In connection with the same subject 

 the Society's attention was called to a letter which 

 appeared in the Dundee Advertiser in March last, 

 stating that 



"On the Links of Barry the Wild Birds Protection 

 Act is annually set at defiance by the War Office, who 

 are owners of the ground. The burning of the old grass, 

 which ought to be dore before the nesting season begins, 

 is deferred until after the nesting season has begun. By 

 this means hundreds of eggs and of young birds are 

 annually destroyed during the season when such destruc- 

 tion is expressly prohibited by the Wild Birds Protection 

 Act." 



An enquiry as to the truth of this statement was 

 addressed to the War Office authorities, and the following 

 reply was received from the Commanding Officer of the 

 Royal Engineers, Perth : 



" The only foundation for the statement that the War 

 Office annually burn the grass is that on the Volunteer 

 Rifle Ranges at Monifrith, which are part of the War 

 Department property at Barry Links, the Volunteers have 

 in former years burnt the grass where it obstructed a view 

 of the targets. This, however, is now prohibited. 



" So far from its being the case that the War Depart- 

 ment fires the grass, the caretaker at Barry keeps a 

 constant look-out for fires, and when they break out 

 steps are at once taken to extinguish them. 



" In spite of all precautions, however, fires at Barry 

 are of not infrequent occurrence, and have caused much 

 damage to the War Department plantations. Some of 

 these outbreaks are, I fear, attributable to malice or 

 carelessness on the part of the public, but the most 

 fruitful cause is, I think, sparks from engines passing on 

 the adjoining railway. If your Society can by any means 

 prevail on the railway companies to use efficient spark 

 arresters you will confer as great an obligation on the 

 owners of plantations as on the birds nesting in them." 



