BIRDS AND MAN 
21 
ships in their course, by their light attract the birds passing 
at night, that batter in their heads by thousands against the 
glass surrounding the lamps. 
What masses of birds are here concerned is proved by 
the figures that appeared in the publications and were men- 
tioned in the discussions of the section organised ^ for the 
protection of birds and the study of economic ornithology at 
the Second International Ornithological Congress held at 
Budapest in 1891. The numbers are as follows: According 
to Prof. Vallon, in October 1890, 8829 quintals of small 
birds {= 423,800 birds) passed the customs frontier at 
Brescia. Among these at first were found, spotted flycatchers, 
pied flycatchers, whitethroats, garden warblers, lesser white- 
throats, rock pipits, great titmice and blue titmice — all 
birds of the greatest value. According to another source, 
from Udine, during the migratory season, 200,000 small 
birds were despatched by rail: that makes altogether a total 
of some 620,000 birds, all, according to the lists, birds of 
the utmost value to agriculture. Near Montegrado, within 
3 days, 14,000 swallows fell victims, and our eminent tra- 
veller, Count Charles ForgAch, mentions that on the stone- 
field Crao no less than three million swallows fell into the nets 
of the bird-catchers. The export of quails from Egypt was 
as follows; in 1887, 550,000, in 1888 it rose to 1.235,000, 
while in 1889 it was 900,000, i. e. in three years a total of 
2.685,000: the best markets for their consumption are London 
and Paris. We have official statements from Paris that speak 
of 114,000 larks. Count Salvadori, the celebrated Italian 
ornithologist, has pointed out, with exact figures and state- 
^ Dr. Th. Liebe unci v. Wangelin. Referat iiber den Vogelschutz. 
Separatum. 1891. Izidor MAday: Ober den internat. Schutz der fur die 
Bodencultur niitzl. Vogel. Separatum. 1891. 
