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New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13722, 11 April 1908, Page 5 (Supplement)

Action with a view to legislation is being taken by the Royal Society in the ; matter of bird protection. Evidence of the extent of the destruction that at present ; goes on, and which is threatening the ex- i tinction of several species, is to be found at the plume auctions held in London. For instance, during-the last six months of 1907 there were catalogued 19.742 .skins of the birds of paradise; 1411 packages of the nesting plumes of: the white heron, representing the feathers of nearly 115,003 birds; besides enormous numbers of the feathers and skins of almost every known species of ornamental plumaged birds. At the June sale 1586 crowned pigeons' heads were sold, while among miscellaneous bird skins one firm of auctioneers alone -.catalogued over 20,000 kingfishers. A feature of recent sales is the offer of large numbers of lyre birds' tails and of albatross quills. In the Nevsky, St. Petersburg, shipbuilding works two' ice-breaking steamers have been laid down for use by a Polar expedition. Each ice-breaker will be about 200 ft long, foty feet wide, and 1230 tons displacement, and will develop a speed of 12