The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-08-29
BIRDS HELD
As PESTS
Cupid's Collection
Falls AfouI
| Of Law.
| JARED SMITH
| MUST PASS THEM
Tree kansaroos and Specimens o.
Rice Bird Which May
Be Kept Out.

YYPON the decision OF Jared Smith
III rests the fate Of cage full Of
pretty little birds and two little
| animals which, though classed as
opossums, are in reality tree kangaroos
The beasts and birds are part of a
shipment from Australia, sent in the
Ventura by Prince Cupid, for the stock
ing of ths Waikiki home of the two
Princes.
| There was fair lnenagerie at the
Pacific Club yesterday, for the lot Of
cages which came for Prince David had
been removed to that place by Manager
Wyman, when it was found that there
had been no notification to Prince Da-
vid of the arrival of the first INSTALL
ment Of the natural curiosities which
ne expects to have domiciled in the
eviary and corrals of the old home
stead. In the shipment were pair of
lkangaroos, two lively beasts, a cage
with magnificent specimen Of the
white parrot, a bird which so far has
shown capacity to whistle only, and a
cage containing two dozen birds of the
lcockatoo, macaw and love bird species.
AS soon as the birds and beasts were
Handed there was an agreement to turn
the collection over to Wyman. for the
birds were in need of care, as three
of them were dead. Yesterday morn
ing, however, there was visit to the
place of their keeping paid by Assistant
Director Sedgwick Of the Agricultural
| Station and then the trouble began.
Since last year there has been a strin-
gent law concerning the importation of
animals and birds into the United
States. OF course the Prince could not
khave known that to send such things
| to his home must be procured a per-
nit, so he sent them along. The law
| is designed to keep out of the country
such birds and animals as would be
inimical to the interests of the fields
and trees. AS soon as the presence of
the collection was made known the at
tention of DR.. w. A. Bryan. curator in
ornitho1ogy at the Bishop Museum, was
called to them, and he at once made
his verbal report. The kangaroos are
permitted in the regulations SO are the
pa,lots and their various species, but
the others came under the ban.
The small birds, some of them resem-
bling canaries and others the reed bird
of the East, were called specimens of
the " eaver bird, one of the species of
the rice bird, and as such there was a
danger that they might prove a pest
in the rice fields The little animals
were pronounced the Australian tree
kangaroo, and not the opossum, as they
we're thought to be at first. There was
an opinion that they were a species of
the woodchuck, and being in that event
g burrowing animal, they were to be
feared as dangerous to the field crops.
So the rest of the collection was taken
to the home of Prince David, where
they will be disposed In, cages and
fenced enclosures. but the two crates
with the tabu specimens are still in the
custody of Wyman.
As the matter stands the customs
authorities who are still In nominal
control of the birds and beasts, are
waiting upon Mr.. Smith. He Is the
only person who Is recognized in the
matter by the Treasury authorities. as
the regulations say that the inspectors
&C the Agriculture Department must
pass upon animals. There will be of
course an appeal to Washington, as
Mr.. Smith has not been appointed an
inspector of live stock at ALL There is
an inspector at San Francisco, but 1t
is more likely that the matter will be
referred directly to the Capitol than
that it will go through the hands of an
other officer. In the meantime it is the
p'nion that the disputed specimens will
be turned over to the Prince to hold in
his custody until there has been a de-
cision from headquarters This is the
course which Mr.. Smith will recon-
mend, and it is probable that the two
cages will be removed to Waikiki to-
day
The shipment is the first of a number |
which it is expected will come from the
South Seas for the suburban home OF
the Princes. Prince David said yester- |
day: MY brother had intended to send /,
many specimens from the countries he |,
visited. We have many animals and
birds out there now and we want to /
have many more. While in South
africa he lad an attempt made 10 Sc
cure a lion cub, but he was not sue
-ccsssu,. and SO we will not b. able tc
add this to our collection. AS soon as
he reached Aus'ral ne began to collect
and these are the first specimens We
have received. I expect there Will De
many others before my brother leaves
the South Seas for home.
Prince Cupid is now on the last stage
of his globe circling tour. He has been
in Australia for some time and has
come on to New Zealand. where he ex-
poets to stay a month. He will then
visit Tahiti and from there proceed to
San Francisco, from which city he viii