THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CONGRESS AT VIENNA, 1873. 49 
others that with little owls and the Roccolo etc. He disagreed 
with Brehm, stating that the old trees could not be tolerated 
in forestry, for they produced masses of insects (!). 
His motion was: 
1. That the close season in Italy — at present the open 
season lasted from July 20 till April 8, an abnormally long 
time — should be prolonged. 
2. That the price of a game licence should be raised, 
and, finally, 
3. that national history should be taught in the schools. 
MiDDENDORFF, of Dorpat, pointed out the difficulty of 
defining usefulness and noxiousness. One State was situated 
on the 60*^ N. latitude, another below 30^ — where, then, 
was the feasibility of uniform regulations? Starlings were in 
one place useful, in another noxious. This fact accounted 
for the diversity of views — how could they be reconciled? He 
pointed out that, in 1872, the ornithologists met in Germany 
and were of opinion that every State should decide which 
were the birds that were primarily useful, which the primarily 
noxious ones. He endorsed Settegast's proposal that the 
Austrian Government should be requested to carry on 
negotiations with the various States and approved of the 
idea of every State appointing a committee to attempt to 
solve the question. These committees would supply a number 
of points that might lead to the accomplishment of a general 
agreement. 
Such points had already been touched upon, and he had 
no doubt that the President would recapitulate the same. 
With this the discussion was concluded, and the President 
asked the following gentlemen, viz. Messrs Tschudi, Maren- 
ZELLER, Brehm, Blomever, Setteqast and Middendorff, 
to form a committee with a view to harmonising the various 
proposals. 
Herman: Conv. for the Prot. of Birds. ^ 
