Did you know that very old birds' eggs cannot be legally sold in England because of that country's 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act? Similar laws in the United States protect body parts of migratory birds and endangered species. An auctioneer in England was fined for trying to sell some wild birds' eggs about 100 years old. Years ago we reported a problem for an American college selling "bird skins," just the outside feathered skins that were kept for study purposes. That case was solved by giving, not selling, the skins to another museum.
1 comment:
That makes sense -- there have been lots of recorded cases in which when just a few of a given species of bird or animal were left, collectors killed the rest to reap the profits thus making the animal extinct.
Each year that goes by brings plenty more non-animal antiques for us to buy and sell.
Thanks for the article!
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