8 4 
NATURE NOTES 
of birds on their hats and bonnets. An International Congress 
on the Protection of Wild Animals and Birds is to be held at 
Gratz from August 5 to 9. 
Want of Birds in Japan. — A correspondent sends us the 
following letter from the Japan Weekly Times, signed “ An Eng- 
lish Bird Lover ” : — 
“ Sir, — I have often noticed in your columns, and again in 
your issue of the 21st inst., the great damage done in this 
country to both crops and fruit trees by insects. If the Japanese 
would but see it, the remedy is in their own hands. A few 
years ago one of our most famous naturalists was spending a 
few months in this country and specially noticing the scarcity 
of small birds, he observed that a plague of insects was the 
inevitable result. If the Japanese Government would only 
institute, as there is in England, a Wild Birds Protection Act, 
insisting on a close season from March 1st to August 31st, 
it would save the country thousands of yen, and prevent the 
wholesale slaughter of millions of small birds which is carried 
on ruthlessly the whole year through. Making it punishable to 
catch, snare, net or take, the nest of any bird within the pre- 
scribed time, would save the lives of the pretty feathered 
songsters who are the farmer’s and gardener’s best friends, but 
who, alas, are getting more and more rare in this country.” 
Scarcity of Birds in Jamaica. — A correspondent sends us 
the following information respecting the scarcity of birds in 
Jamaica: — “The paucity of birds in the island of Jamaica is 
well known, and I have just chanced upon a curious and inter- 
esting explanation of the fact worth preserving. I take the 
explanation, exactly as it stands, from the manuscript notes of a 
deceased friend who visited the island some years ago, and who, 
had he not fallen a victim to yellow fever, would probably have 
revised them for publication in connection with other interesting 
matter. This is what he says : — ‘ The practical absence of bird 
life from the island is easily explained, and the explanation is 
curious. It also affords an example of what happens when man 
in his great wisdom sets about improving on Nature and putting 
her right. Some long time ago the snakes of Jamaica, no doubt 
an ill-conditioned and venomous set, gave annoyance to a man 
whose name is now happily forgotten. 'This person determined 
to arrange the snake business on proper lines, and accordingly 
imported from India squadrons of the mongoose, which every- 
body knows has a partiality for snake diet, and the more deadly 
the snake the better the mongoose likes him. In time the 
mongoose completed its contract, and snakes no longer wriggled 
over the land. But instead of returning to its native home 
when there were no more snakes to kill, it hung in the new 
country until it got seedy and down at heel, and then its morals 
gave way. Having no more legitimate work to do, it took to 
