60 
HISTORICAL PART 
not remarkable when we consider that the active participation 
of the late Heir to the Hungarian and Austrian thrones, the 
Archduke Rudolf, secured the attendance of nearly all the 
most prominent ornithologists of the time, who took a lively 
part in the discussions. 
All the advanced States of Europe, with the exception of 
Great Britain and Spain, were represented, for the most part 
by ornithologists. Among the men present we find the names 
of E. HoMEVER, Rudolf and William Blasius, E. Baldamus, 
Prof. Altum, K. Russ, Staatsrat Schrenck, the famous Russian 
traveller, E. Oustalet, the distinguished Frenchman, Victor 
Fatio and Girtanner from Switzerland, Enrico Giglioli 
from Italy, Borgqreve from Germany, Palackv from Bohemia, 
G. Radde, a famous Russian traveller, etc. etc. 
Under such circumstances we cannot be surprised at the 
great expectations entertained far and wide, a fact which 
necessitates our reproducing in a more precise manner that 
part of the discussions which relates to bird-protection, if 
for no other reason, because they are extremely character* 
istic of the ruling tendencies and the conceptions of the 
leading men. Our report is based on the official minutes as 
reproduced in the 1884—85 issues of the „Schwalbe", a 
periodical then appearing at Vienna, though they were published 
separately as well.^ 
The Congress was opened on April 7, 1884 by the Crown 
Prince Rudolf in person; while the discussions were begun 
under the presidency of Radde, Russian Councillor of State, 
and continued under the presidency of Homeyer, Schrenck 
and Professor Rudolf Blasius. 
At the first classmeeting the Congress at once entered 
* Sitzungsprotocolle des ersten internationalen Ornithologen Con- 
gresses etc. Wien, 1884. Verlag des Ornith. Vereins in Wien. 1884. 
