26 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



course accustom the birds to their presence 

 gradually. The best beginning is to provide food 

 during the winter, especially scraps of meat, etc., 

 on a bird-table or other place safe from cats. 

 The lively Blue Tits swinging on a cocoa-nut in 

 December will be followed in May by the small 

 Tit family, ready to leave their box to perch on 

 the arm or shoulder of their human friend. The 

 Nuthatch, after yielding entertainment by its 

 tricks with charity nuts in winter, will help Tits 

 and Treecreepers to clear the trees of insects in 

 summer-time. While sitting, the birds will pro- 

 bably not object to the lid of the nesting-box 

 being occasionally opened and the family in- 

 spected ; but all species should be visited 

 cautiously, and not too often. 



Autumn is likewise a good time to procure 

 specimen boxes to serve as models for home or 

 class work for boys in the winter evenings. A 

 stout hard wood will last longest, though it may 

 be more difficult to use ; and the lids should be 

 fastened with a leather hinge. One of the 

 Society's Hon. Secretaries found a ready sale 

 for boxes made by a working-boys' club ; and a 

 good idea was adopted at the Cottenham Park 

 (Wimbledon) Industrial Show in July in the 

 offering of awards for home-made nesting-boxes ; 

 the District Messenger boy who won the prize 

 had one of the Society's leaflets for only 

 guide. 



It will be understood that Nesting-Boxes are 

 intended for birds that commonly build in 

 holes. They will not attract Thrushes and 

 Blackbirds, the Warbler family, the Chaffinch or 

 the Bullfinch ; and nobody will wish that they 

 should. A wooden box, however ornamental, 

 would be a poor exchange for the beautiful 

 natural nest woven by such species. For these 

 the evergreen hedge, the not too trim shrubbery, 

 the yew-tree and thick ivy, the quiet shady nook, 

 and a plentiful supply of food and water, will be 

 the best attractions ; while a narrow projecting 

 ledge some five inches below the eaves will in- 

 vite the House-Martins, and a small triangular 

 shelf or bracket with upstanding rim, in the 

 angle of a wall or window, will tempt the 

 Spotted Flycatcher. 



Our illustration, taken by kind permission 



from a photograph by Mr. Seth-Smith in the 

 Avicultural Magazine, shows one of Mr. Meade- 

 Waldo's Nesting-Boxes, with the hole partially 

 plastered up by Nuthatches. This box has been 



in use for 26 years. 



♦ 



COUNCIL MEETING. 



At the quarterly meeting of the Council of the 

 Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, on July 

 20th, 1906, Mr. Montagu Sharpe, Chairman, pre- 

 sided, and there were also present : Mr. Ernest 

 Bell, Hon. Alfred Dobson, Miss Hall, Mr. W. H. 

 Hudson, Rev. A. L. Hussey, Mr. Francis King, 

 Mr. Hastings Lees, Mrs. Lemon, Mr. Meade- 

 Waldo, Miss Pollock, the Hon. Secretary, and 

 the Secretary. The Hon. Secretary's report 

 announced the receipt of a legacy of ^"ioo under 

 the will of the late Mrs. Buckingham, of St. Albans, 

 an old friend of the Society. It was reported that 

 six lectures had been given since April 20th. 



The appointment of Miss A. E. Gardner as Hon. 

 Sec. {pro tern.) for Leicester, and Mrs. Bradshaw 

 for Retford, was confirmed. Three new Fellows 

 were elected, namely, H.S.H. Princess Victor of 

 Hohenlohe Langenburg, the Lady Heneage, and 

 Lady Malcolm of Poltalloch; and 28 Members were 

 elected. The statement of accounts for the quarter 

 was examined and passed. 



The Watchers Committee reported, inter alia, 

 that a circular letter had been sent to all the Coast- 

 guard Stations in Great Britain and Ireland call- 

 ing attention to the provisions of the Wild Birds 

 Protection Acts, and asking the Coastguard- 

 men to answer certain questions with respect to 

 the species occurring in their districts, need for 

 protection, migrants, and rare birds, etc. Replies 

 had been received from about 500 Stations, 

 giving some valuable information and indicating 

 a sincere desire to help in the work ; and the 

 Committee wished to record their hearty thanks 

 for this assistance. 



It was further reported that a special appeal to 

 the British Ornithologists' Club had resulted in the 

 promise of ,£22 for the Watchers Fund, and that 

 Mr. St. Quintin had consented to join theCommittee. 



Arrangements were made for the holding of an 

 Autumn Conference of Workers, in London. 

 Other subjects discussed included the European 

 trade in live Quails ; India and the plume-trade ; 

 the prevalence of bird-catching and condition of 

 bird-shops in Dundee, Edinburgh, Birmingham, 

 and other places ; the export of Lapwings to the 

 United States. . 



