THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CONGRESS AT VIENNA, 187o. 39 
oned, being Dr. Frederick Tschudi. The main features of 
his lecture were as follows: 
It were very desirable to come to an agreement concerning 
the protection of birds and he hoped they would do so. 
His conviction was that every useful bird was to be afforded 
special protection with the exception of those already pro- 
tected by the Game Laws. The latter, however, were not 
quite satisfactory in their regulations concerning shooting : 
€. g. in the case of the woodcock, the shooting of which 
was allowed in spring, a time when the greatest forbearance 
ought to be shown it, or of the willow grouse, the shooting 
of which was allowed just at pairing time. 
We ought to know which are the birds protected by 
Game Laws; but in this respect neither the laws of the 
various States nor the handbooks offer any enlightenment. 
In particular the regulations concerning „ small birds" were 
of such a type that they might be referred to all species. 
Every year millions of little birds, of great value to agri- 
culture, wandered into the stomachs of gourmets. 
Consequently the first duty were to decide which birds 
might be hunted for? 
The speaker proposed the formation of an international 
committee, whose resolutions might serve as a basis for the 
Parliaments of the several countries. This committee could 
compile a list of useful birds, employing the Latin names. 
It must be remarked, however, that the views concerning 
many species were divergent, e. g. in the cases of sparrows 
and starlings, which species, in the nesting season, consumed 
insects and so made good a hundredfold all the damage 
caused by them in the fields. 
The speaker's opinion was that above all insect-eaters 
ought to absolutely protected against sportsmen and bird- 
catchers. Of course these species included the favourite song- 
