120 
HISTORICAL PART 
In the opinion of the German Government the fulfilment 
of the demand of the Swiss Government would mean that 
the insect-eaters would not be protected at all, although they 
deserved to be. But, though this would be a decided weaken- 
ing of the Convention, the German Government would accept 
it, if the Convention were not feasible otherwise; for at any 
rate it was or would be the first step of any moment in the 
cause of the international protection of birds. It would be 
only too glad to acquiesce if the Hungarian and the Austrian 
Governments, with whom it wished to go hand in hand, 
would do likewise.^ 
The Austrian Government made known that the French 
Government had not yet made any statement re the Swiss 
alteration; but that if the refusal of the same really did involve 
the non-accomplishment of the Convention, the Austrian 
Government would accept the same on condition of being 
allowed to arrange the schedule for its own territory.'^ 
This view was endorsed by the Hungarian Government 
too, acting on advice given by the Hungarian Central Office 
of Ornithology.^ 
The change was made. 
When this serious danger had been averted and it seemed 
as if the States joining the movement could think of having 
the Convention ratified and codified, Sweden came forward, 
declaring that, in certain parts of the country, for the talking 
of certain birds, which from the point of view of bird-pro- 
tection were of no consequence, the Swedish people used 
nets as instruments of capture, though the latter, according 
to § 3 of the Convention, were prohibited. 
» Hung. Min. Agr. 2410/eln. Sept. 22, 1899. 
2 Hung. Min. Agr. 22,522/1764. Nov. 29, 1899. 
» Hung. Min. Agr. 12,298/eln. Dec. 24, 1899. 
