60 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



At Long Ashton the tree-planting was per- 

 formed by the children of the upper standards, 

 assisted by the Vicar and Curate, and the master 

 (Mr. Gunstone), on a piece of land granted by 

 Lady Smythe. Songs accompanied and photo- 

 graphs recorded the ceremony. A tea was given 

 to the children by Mr. H. B. Napier, who presented 

 the prizes at the meeting that followed. 



The Dytche School, Holford, Bridgwater, had 

 on their fete day the benefit of a charming speech 

 from Miss Agnes Fry. Dwelling on the value of 

 Nature Study she pointed out that the lesson of 

 "seeing" lasted through life. They must learn to 

 see with their e>es, to be on the look-out for new 

 and strange things ; with their minds, to think 

 about what they saw and try to understand the 

 reason of things ; and with their hearts, that they 

 might be in sympathy with all things. A flower 

 or a tree had life and felt heat and cold and 

 needed food and air ; and still more they could 

 feel with birds and animals, their wants and 

 cares. The Rev. W. Cresswell presided, and 

 the Rev. R. W. Pearson read the Society's 

 report. Miss Fry presented the prizes, including 

 four given by the local committee. 



The Oldfield Girls' School, Bath, and others 

 have also had successful festivals. 



IN THE COURTS. 



Poisoned Graix.— At Retford, on December 

 29th, 1906, Benjamin Burkitt, a farmer of Blyth, 

 was fined £5 for sowing wheat steeped in " crow 

 poison " (strychnine). He said it was done to kill 

 the larks, who ate his seed ; and the police picked 

 up 160 dead birds of various species. The Bench 

 commented on the danger of the practice to game 

 and eaters of game. 



Biro-catching.— At Grimsby, on January 7th, 

 1907, two men named Wright were charged with 

 cruelty to four Linnets. They had a number of 

 nets pegged in the usual way, with tethered Lin- 

 nets as decoys ; two of the birds had broken legs, 

 the others torn and broken wings. The magistrates 

 severely censured the men and fined them a 

 guinea each. — A case of trapping Goldfinches at 

 Weston, Bath, was before the county magistrates 

 on December 23rd, 1906, when a bird-catcher was 

 fined 25. 6d. and his nets and birds confiscated. 

 [Had he been just within, instead of just without, 

 the city boundary there could have been no prosecu- 

 tion, as Bath has no Bird Protection Order]. — The 

 chairman of the Mailing magistrates commented 

 severely on the " brutal practice " of the bird- 

 catcher in a recent case of cruelty to decoy birds, 

 and said that if it were not discontinued the Bench 

 must put the full force of the law into operation. 

 Defendant was fined £2 7s. 6d. 



Sunday Protection.— A Belton fisherman was 

 fined at Lowestoft, on January 17th, 1907, for 



shooting a Wild Duck on Sunday, December 30th- 

 The chairman said this was the first case under 

 the Order, and therefore a fine of 5s. only would be 

 imposed, but this Sunday shooting must be stopped. 

 — At Bexhill, on January 13th, 1907, a bird-catcher 

 was fined 7s. for taking a Chaffinch and four Water 

 Wagtails on a Sunday. He said he only wanted 

 Sparrows, but gave no explanation when asked 

 why in that case he caged the Wagtails. — Two 

 men were convicted at Grimsby on February 19th, 

 of cruelty to two Linnets used as decoys ; seeing 

 the police corning they cut the strings, but the 

 birds were too much crippled to fly and the strings 

 were covered with blood. Defendants promised 

 not to repeat the offence and were fined 10s. each. 

 [It might have helped them to keep their promise 

 if the nets had been confiscated.] 



The Royal Society for the Protection 

 of Birds, 



3, HANOVER SQUARE, LONDON, II'. 



Founded 1SS9. 

 Incorporated tinder Royal Charter, 1904. 



Any person interested in promoting the objects of 

 the Society and willing to abide by the Regulations 

 may be enrolled as follows : — 



Fellow, by subscribing an annual sum of not 

 less than One guinea (,£1 is.), or by com- 

 pounding for life by a donation of Twenty 

 guineas (^21). 



Member, by subscribing an annual sum of not 

 less than Five shillings (5s.), or by compound- 

 ing for life by a donation of Five guineas 



US 5s.) 



Every Fellow and Member is, after election, 

 entitled to receive a copy of every publication 

 issued by the Society, and to attend and vote at 

 all General Meetings of the Society. 



Associate, (a) by subscribing an annual sum of 

 not less than one shilling (is.), or compounding as 

 a Life Associate by payment of twenty-one shillings 

 (2 is.) ; (b) by paying a sum of twopence to cover 

 cost of registration. 



Associates receive cards on joining ; Fellows 

 and Members receive certificates of election. 



Bird Notes and News (issued quarterly) will be 

 sent post free to any address for is. per annum, payable 

 in advance ; single numbers, 3d. 



To Members of the Society subscribing 5s. and 

 upwards per annum it is forwarded gratis and post 

 free. 



Printed by Witherby & Co., 326, High Holborn, W.C., and 

 published by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birps, 

 3, Hanover Square, London, W, 



