Sater or Barrington - Int. 2879 I

FISH AlJDWILDLIFESERVICE For Release JULY 9# 1954 NJ%!MENDMENT TO LACEXACT AIDS IN IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIESPROELBITED FOR IMPORT Aa an added safeguard against the introduction into the United States of aer- tain unwanted species of wild and , a new amendment to the Laoey Act has been adopted which clarifies the identification of these species, Secretary of the Interior Douglas McKay announced today. Among the provisions of the Lacey Act, passed on May 25, 1900, was one that prohibited the introduction into this country of certain species of wild animals and birds which might be detrimental to agriculture or horticultures In this provision of the a&, some of the species were actually nsmed, Since then, however, difficulty has bean experienced in making definite identifioation of these species because of the auceptance of revisionary work involving generic names, The new amendment, which specifies by scientific nsme those species that are to be excluded [except for certain specified uses and under rigidly controlled condi- tions mbodied in permits issued by the Fish and Wildlife Service), will not only aid persons planning to import oertain birds and animals, but will ease the work of port-of-entry authorit%es. As stated in the original act, prohibited species include: the mongoose (Herpeates a 0 tatu ); the so-called "flying-foxes" or fruit bats (all species of the Genus*T Ptero tiglish Sparrow (wer domestious); the (Sturnus vuJ.aar& ; "and such other birds and animals as the Secretary of the I&i- rim may declare to be in$.W.ous to the intereats of agriculture or horticulture." In addition to those previously rimed in the statutes, the following ad.mdB and wild birds end their eggs are now subject to the prohibitions against importa- tion: species of the genus Acridothereg classified aa commonly known as Commonma, Indian , or CommonCe*lon

,' (2) oristatellus (sometimes referred to aa granu or &$dol%a?q fuscus and commonly known as Chinese orested Myna, Siamese Yellow-billed Jungle QTEB Assam Yellow-billed Myna, Indian , Jungle Myna, Malay Jungle Myna, and Buffalo Myna);

(3) pinaianw (acmmonly known as ); , (4) glbocina (commonly known as ), Also prohibitedentry, exeeptfor furfam&.nj~and ot?aeragrhultur&L or soientiflc purposes, (and only If kept in aonfineaent) are the lhropean rabbit ) =--wp-h=e (v. The hportationofparrots andotJaerpittQd.neblrds isregulated~the U.6 Publidieal~Serviae,as am certainbkdsdef%nedae ffpoultry~ whiabare regulatedbytheUnitedStat8sDepartment 0fAgriaultuw. xxx

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