THE Wild Birds (Ducks and Geese) Protection Bill, which passed its final stages in the House of Lords on May 2, and will come into force as an Act on August 1, marks a decided step forward in the efforts being made to conserve the world's stock of Anatidee. During its passage through Parliament, the Bill has been strengthened by amendments put forward by the promoters, the International Committee for Bird Preservation (British Section). The Bill, when first introduced in November 1938, was framed with the view of securing its rapid passage as an unopposed measure; but as opposition was encountered the promoters, while compromising on certain points, were able to gam considerably on others. The main terms of the Bill in its final form are: the extension of the ‘close season’ for wild geese and wild duck (of any species whatsoever, the merganser and goosander only being excepted) from February 1 to August 11; the addition of wild geese of all species to the schedule; and the prohibition of import of wild geese and wild duck from February 1 to August 11. Heretofore wild duck have enjoyed the benefit of being scheduled birds (by the Act of 1880), that is, protected from owners and occupiers of land on their own land—during the close season—but wild geese have not. The new measure, therefore, greatly increases the protection afforded to wild geese. However, in order to safeguard the interests of farmers, for, in certain cases, willd geese are considered to damage crops, a clause gives power to county councils to apply to the Secretary of State for Home Affairs to remove wild geese from the schedule in any area in the county concerned.