78 
HISTORICAL PART 
Russia, Bai- j^i Ri/sslo tlic close scason lasts only from March 1 (13) 
kan States. ^ ' 
till July 1 (13), i. e. altogether four months. Now Moscow 
is an important bird-market, where, especially in spring, 
gigantic masses of small birds are offered for sale, among 
others larks, titmice and quails.^ This is to some extent at 
variance with Bachner's report delivered at the Vienna con- 
gress of 1873, which put the close season for capercaillys 
and grouse at 5'/. months and declared that the small birds 
were protected the whole year round. 
There actually does exist an Imperial Society for the Pre- 
vention of Cruelty to Animals; but it is not active. 
Turkey. lu Turkey there is no protection for birds. On the con- 
trary bird-catching is very much in vogue there and is practised 
with nets, traps and bird-lime: decoy-birds with fettered feet 
are also in use. This practice is mitigated by the liberation 
of birds, which is considered a virtue. 
According to the report, at the time of the Congress, 
Italy, Spain, thcrc was vcry little protection offered to -birds in Italy, 
France. Spain and France. In the latter country every bird could be 
treated as game. As for Italy, the report quoted the figures 
to be found in part in the introduction to this book, which 
are for the most part the compilations of Vallon from Udine 
and Brescia statistics. 
Austria. The rcport then turns to Austria. 
The conditions of this country fall into three groups. 
The laws of Austria concerning shooting, fishing and the 
protection of birds, if taken together, form a bulky volume 
of some 568 pages, of which 55 refer to the protection of 
birds specifically. 
Triest. Triest, as a city belonging directly to the Empire, has no 
laws of its own. The other parts may be grouped as follows : 
' Zoologischer Garten. Jahrg. XXIX. No. 5. 
