THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CONGRESS AT VIENNA, 1873. 51 
to the various species of birds. The difficulties are enhanced 
by the fact that it will be necessary to put an end to, or at 
least attempt to root out, the catching in masses of small 
birds, a custom in vogue in the States of Southern Europe, 
particularly in Italy, a custom, moreover, that, while deep- 
rooted in the inclinations of the respective peoples, is of 
vital importance to their subsistence". 
The Imperial Austrian Minister of Agriculture found that 
the seven points brought forward as the proposal of the 
International Congress for 1873, formed a suitable basis for 
the creation of an international convention between the States 
interested. 
And in May, 1874, the Royal Hungarian Minister of Agri- 1874. 
culture too found that the seven clauses were a suitable 
basis for negotiations. 
Here we shall do well to throw various moments into 
relief. Notwithstanding the opinion expressed in previous 
negotiations (e. g. in 1871.: v. supra), viz. that the „ treaty" 
form, on account of its difficult and delicate nature, should 
be abandoned, the introduction to the seven points in question 
decided in favour of the conclusion of a Convention to be 
based on „treaty" points and not points resting on decisions 
in principle: this may, however, have been nothing but a 
lapse in terminology, and, while otherwise unessential, was 
only the result of opportunism. 
Of far more importance were §§ 2 and 5 relating to the 
compilation of schedules of useful and noxious birds, which were 
important for the simple reason that they implied a confession 
on the part of the experts that, up till 1873, the negotiations 
had not been conducted on a regularly defined basis, since, 
in actual fact, there had been mention only of „ birds", „ small, 
useful and noxious birds", without any specification of the 
particular species. 
4* 
