Po that the law which is actually in operation cannot be taken cognizance of in a court of justice because the bill embodying it is not yet out of ihe hands of the printer. But courts of justice are, we may presume, as capable of taking care of themselves in a matter of this sort as most institu tions. It is the public who have the greatest cause of complaint. Long aftef Judges and barristers have become acquainted with all the Act« that have been passed, the general public will very misty ideas of the general results of the session. Nor will the list of titles of ninety- three Acts, which are published in some of the newspapers, invite or much facilitate the acquisition of knowledge about matters which may concern any one more intimately than ho is aware. We certainly think it will some day be a reproach to our civilisation that we have not yet discovered some simple way of making people acquainted with the laws they are expected to obey. Among the titles of Acts passed during the recent session, we find the " Protection of Certain Animals Act." Can any of our readers tell us what are the provisions of this Act — what things are lawful, and what unlawful, under its provisions? If not, we regret that we cannot give them such information. All we know is that we saw the bill during one stage of its career, and duly admired the scientific knowledge displayed in the schedule, where every little bird known in New Zealand was described by a zoological name much bigger than itself. Whether the bill passed in the shape in which we saw it we do not know ; but if it did we must caution all our friends to take care how they protect their fruit 'this summer. We are not aware that any Act has been passed for the protection of grapes and cherries, but we are sure that the hire's that are fond of grapes and cherries are carefully protected by the Act as it came under our notice. The crime of taking a bird's nest was proposed to be punished by flogging, but we trust the bill was not allowed to pass with so much of the ferocity of the old game laws about it as its framers appear to have contemplated. 