THE WORLD'S WILD LIFE.
Nfiw ZeslMnd 'is'.'ifc,,the present time faced with the' rogi'etfcable filet fiat some of those, forms ,of bird life which can- .be..i,Q,unj|.in no Gfciici- part o : f the world arc in , danger of being extorrftinated, owing partly' to tho dkappeafaaco of , bush caused by ■the increase of scttferteiit, and partly to'wantoa dcstKtC'tion, In a ntatte.; , of this kind we ought to regard* our* selves as trustees for the rest of the wodd and for those who -vviil come alter its," and it is .satisfactory to know that soraething is being dona to countaniet the effect- of past nbg■- ■ f fcet. It- looks as if the huia is doomlH, though it is still possible that the effort ncSw.being nia'de to save this rare bit A from utter oxMriefclen nifty iiiect with some sucjcbsi '.precautions which are being taken to pre , - ■ serve oivr ffwa aaiivc birds—a .moyo-■-nwnfc wfeich we trust will thpet with wide support from the general pub' lie — 'Datutally awakens in as a jsynv patbetie interest in thfe attempts iii ether .parts of the.world to profaofc .bird life from the ravages elf ashiofi. The fact that the Hufnage Bill hi-s been read a seco-nd: time in the British HfflMS'e of .•■Ooromons by %U votes to %1 indieates that there Is a strong ; feeling lhafc it Is time ?o.Me check was placed' upen y je wholesale slighter; th;at is g&iiig on. Accord- : iftg fe a tafele niessage wbicli appear:ed in Tp Dominion on Wednesday last, the pbriiages of jto fewer tliaii 77,000 egl:ets. .25.,000' humaiing birds' and kiiigfrshofs Were sold in London last and it is also' Stated that the paradise birds and Papu-aa lyre birds are being FawEfo exterminated. It"is proposed to laid an ir).ter. : natjon4l coflfcrence. at an early date tq consider the question';: and U is tp be hoped that some' agreement will bo reaehed which wj!l' prevent these: beautiful ojcabwes , from being swept off the face' of -the ■ earth. It is. regrettahl* that the Ad-' vance. of civilisation shcukl b ai■teiided by the destruction of some of the most unique- and glorious forms' of plant, and a-ninial life, ami aiosfc ■ people will agree with tho view ■sfeted by Djt. Eonmi)K\; Difeeter of the Mew' York Zoological Park, in aiv article til fto nineteenth Centura' that "the hour lias arrived wherein the leaders of thought and a eticm in J ■the most oaligd'teHed nations of -tlni'l earth can no bnger i.gnoie fJie cliity that now rests heavily upon them to step tho commercial slaughter of wild birds and beasts and preserve the remnant" He points out with mucji force that tho wild lifts o .f to-day is npt wholly ours in the sense that wo ea.n do what we like with it. & docs net contend that none oJ these animals should be killed for purposes of utility or ortia.mcnt, but he rightly urgfjs that f 'o.f tho gams birds of tho fforld AM may spend tho annual income and ctmsii-nw the increase, but Vβ have no fight to tatfoy the. principal. It is only the reekW aad conscienceless parent wko can squan-de-r the hcrititpß that rightfully belongs to his ehildrein." Public sentiment in the. United States hs§ already compelled Congress to tiike action,, and tho British Pa,Hia»ent has-' also tftkeft the mattei> up. Othief ■civilisctl na'tions may be expected to join, in this commcmklsfc 'effort to save the wild , life of the world iwm extinction ls<j£oro it is too late. The prosenfc juncture is n critical time, and if cflßctive- Measures ara not taken a great opportunity for miiiuivil action, will bo lost. I>r, iiiHiNADAV (ifopjarw that ilm fate of of the most, beautiful liiul most itttarostiag hWds of tlio world doptmds upon tins atißWo.v- u> tins plain question: "Will it bri possiblo fa arouse the humftae people of England, Holland, Germany, Frnttce, and Italy to the perils that beset bird life in time to. save <svce the best o$ the biids of (to world 1" Let
us hope that the reply -will be.tin emphatic "Yes," for if tho answer is "No" it will wean that "the children of the men and women of to-day will have to study the most beautiful and most curious birds of the world in picture books and museirms, , - America has taken the lead, and England has followed) and it now remains to be seen what the other nations will do. It is satisfactory to know that the? New Zealand Forest and Bird Protection Society is taking stops for the better protection of oiii native fauna, and flora, and its efforts should receive the hearty sympathy and support of the public.
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Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2008, 16 March 1914, Page 4
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771THE WORLD'S WILD LIFE. Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2008, 16 March 1914, Page 4
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