02 Tlir r.hih Dinner. 



placed oil a Imsiiiess-like basis. ;ui(l at tlie saiiio time to susjgest matters of 

 reform in eDniiection with Live Stock ami l>ii(l Sli(>])s. Their efforts in this 

 direction having ])r()ved frnitless, a petition has l)(jen drawn np to approach 

 the Home Secretary on the matter, with a view to some amendment of the 

 Bye-law. and the iiaL^-itioii of jjlai-ing Bird slnjis nnder the control of the 

 Sanitary Anthorities will lie sugiJested. 1 need hardly jioint out tliat the 

 hobby of keeping a few birds for i)lt'asiire or study will Ijc seriously cur- 

 tailed in time should this deputation not lie successful, mid I /r/is/ tlmt (t/l 

 tli(ixi> (cliti iiKlji <-iiiiH' ill coiiliii-l irilh lli'tn /ir/il/iJii ifill. i ■! //ir iii/rrrx/x nfthi'ir 

 hdlilii/, Hiiiii il. It is indeed uid'ortunate tha> iiecause of a few otfenders, that 

 bird-keeping in general should lie considered e(iually undesirable by a certain 

 settion of the community, many of whom encourage and support great cruel- 

 ty to birds by wearing feathers and wild birds ]ireferiiiig to conform to 

 fashion tlian to lessen cruelty, and yet are membei-s of the S.P.B., and 

 R.S.P.C.A . ! 1 I am afraid unless we try to get scmie rei»resentation of our 

 interests, the matter will shortly get extended to Foreign Birds and so on, 

 until our present hobby (which has from small beginnings reached consid- 

 eralile prominence) will be entirely annulled. ALLEN SILVER. 



The Club Dinner and Testimonial Fund. 



This function took place at the t Crystal J 'a lace on Saturday, 

 February 4th, notice of which was published in .January issue of 

 Bird Notes. 



The gathering was of a very pleasurable character, and it 

 is lioped also a profitable one, as chili inatlers wen' discussed 

 and new ideas were ventUated, which may prove helpful to the 

 future progress of the F.B.C. 



The foUfiwing toasts wei-e jiroposed: The King (Mr. W. T. 

 Rogers). Our Guest (Mr. W . T. Iltigers), Success to the Foreign Bird 

 Club (Mr. Sutclill'e). All wei'c enthusiastically received and I'e- 

 sponded to . 



The occasion was of peculiar interest, as it alVorded the 

 chairman the opportunity of making a Presentation t) our Hon. 

 Editor (Mr. Wesley T. Page), on behalf of those who had pub- 

 scribed to the Testimonial Fund, which had reached a total of 

 £88. The presentation took the form of an Illuminated Adilress, with 

 the names of the subscribers engrossed thereon. It was greatly 

 admired by those present, and regarded as a suitable expression of 

 the esteem and kindly sentiments entertained towards the Hon. 

 Editor. 



After the presentation had been made, Mr. Wesley Page, 

 in response, stated that he rose to acknowledge the presentation 

 with very mixed feelings, and that it was impossible for him 

 to adequately express the keen appreciation ho did and ought 

 to feel. He was entirely taken by surprise, as he was under 

 the impression that he had vetoed anything of the kind, when 



