THE IMMEDIATE PRELIMINARIES OF THE CONVENTION 
103 
The French secretaries were Sagnier and Marchand 
who were assisted by Poyard, an Editor. 
The heart of the Balkans, right up to the Danube, was 
unrepresented. 
The Conference was opened by the then French Minister 
of Agriculture, Gadaut, in person, who was succeeded in 
the chair by Meline, the active president. 
The French Government did actually present a ready draft 
to the Conference, which consisted of 10 clauses and included 
three schedules of birds, the first of which contained a list 
of useful birds to be protected, the second that of winged 
game, the third that of noxious birds. 
The pith of the enactments included in the draft is as 
follows: 
§ 1. Mutual obligations respecting the protection by lavv^ 
of birds useful to agriculture. 
§ 2. Defends nests and broods of birds contained in 
List I; and prohibits any traffic in the same. Forbids the use 
of nets, snares, bird-lime etc. But permits the extermination 
from time to time of over-stocks of sparrows and crows, 
without, however, endangering other species. 
§ 3. Outside the close season the killing of winged game 
(List II) is permissible. Only guns may be used. Import of 
birds forbidden except in open time. Protects the nests and 
broods of winged game, granting exemptions only to owners, 
occupiers or tenants of land, who may collect and may have 
hatched the eggs discovered in nests found in harvest-time. 
The destruction of noxious birds (List III) permitted if carried 
out without danger to other species. 
§ 4. Prohibitions not in force in respect to farmyards or 
captive birds kept in cages. 
§ 5. Exceptions may be made for scientific purposes. 
