78 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



The Royal Society for 

 the Protection of Birds. 



COUNCIL MEETING. 



The Council held their Quarterly Meeting at 

 No. 3, Hanover Square, W., on July 19th, 

 Mr. Montagu Sharpe (Chairman) presiding. 

 There were also present : Mr. Ernest Bell, 

 Mr. Dresser, Miss Hall, Mr. Hudson, Mr. King, 

 Mr. Hastings Lees, Mrs. Lemon, Captain Tailby, 

 Mr. F. E Lemon (Hon. Secretary) and Miss 

 Gardiner (Secretary). 



The Report of the Hon. Secretary referred with 

 regret to the death of Professor Alfred Newton, 

 and also that of Admiral Maclear, a Life Member 

 of the Society ; and it was agreed to place on 

 record the Council's sense of the great loss thus 

 sustained by the Society. It was reported that 

 lectures had been given at Bristol Cathedral 

 School by Mr. H. V. Webb, and at Southwark by 

 Mrs. Nelson ; that five County Council Orders 

 had been issued (details of which appeared in the 

 Summer Number of Bird Notes and News) ; 

 that the Society had exhibits of Nesting Boxes, etc., 

 at the Cambridge Agricultural Show on July iSth, 

 and at the Yorkshire Agricultural Show, August 

 8th to 10th, 1907 ; and that in accordance with 

 instructions given at the previous Council Meeting, 

 a letter had been addressed to the Colonial 

 Premiers in England, asking for their help in the 

 protection of Wild Birds, and for copies of Acts 

 and Ordinances issued by them on the subject. 



The Finance and General Purposes 

 Committee brought up the statement of ac- 

 counts for the quarter. Nine new Fellows were 

 elected, as follows : — Mrs. Atherley, Attingham 

 Park ; W. Burdett-Coutts, M.P., Stratton Street, 

 W. ; Mr. and Mrs. Currey, The Pit House, 

 Ewell ; Mrs. Hope-Brown, The Haven, Culross ; 

 Hon. Edward Lascelles, Harewood House ; Mrs. 

 E. H. Pattinson, Chesterfield Street, W. ; Miss 

 Tate, Bank House, Acklington ; J. A. Waring, 

 Fishbourne Cottage, Chichester. Thirty-four 

 Members were elected, as follows : — R. H. 

 Glover, Mrs. Gilbert, Mrs. A. Ling, F. Redmond, 

 Mrs. R. Court Treatt (London), Mrs. Bagnall 

 (Chard), Mrs. Boraston (Bournemouth), Miss 

 Brodrick (Winchester), W. Cozens (Wallingford), 

 Rev. H. Constable Curtis (Berkhamstead), Mrs. 



Cowan (Bournemouth), Gerard Dowson (Radcliffe- 

 on-Trent), Mrs. E. B. Evelyn (Cirencester), 

 Herbert Flowers (Upper Beeding), Mrs. Gillespie 

 (Walton-on-Thames), Mrs. Govver (Berkhamstead) 

 A. G wynne- Vaugh an (Builth), B. Hobbs (Petrock) 

 Miss J. B. Kitson (Leeds), W. Lewis (New 

 Brighton), Mrs. T. R. Marshall (Penton, Carlisle), 

 H. S. Martin (Loughborough), Mrs. Meredyth- 

 Baker (Chichester), Admiral Morrell (Erith), Mrs. 

 Oliver (Pear Tree, Derby), J. A. Pownall (Neston, 

 Chester), L. T. Rowe (Hulford), Miss Sedgwick 

 (Berkhamstead), Miss B. Shiffner (Rossington), 

 Mrs. Summers (Winchester), Miss Wain (Birken- 

 head), Madame Weatherley (Caterham), Major 

 Wright (Campdenj, R. W. Worsdell (Newcastle). 



The Publication Committee reported that a 

 circular letter had been sent to many of the clergy, 

 asking that Bird Protection might be alluded to in 

 their sermons on Animal Sunday (fourth after 

 Trinity) ; that an appeal had been made to all the 

 Bishops of the Church of England, and letters ad- 

 dressed to most of the religious newspapers. Replies 

 very friendly to the cause were received from the 

 Bishops of almost every See, and a good many 

 eloquent references to the subject were made in 

 sermons. Certain alterations in the style and cover 

 of Bird Notes and News were considered ; 

 Mr. Bonhote was asked to undertake the prepara- 

 tion of a special Leaflet on the Birds of the Coast ; 

 and a proposal of the Chairman to offer a Gold 

 Medal for an essay on comparative Bird Protection 

 Law was referred to the Committee. 



The Watchers' Committee reported that 

 much useful work had been satisfactorily accom- 

 plished during the season by safeguarding some 

 of the breeding-haunts of rare birds. Watchers 

 had been employed in Kent, in Aberdeenshire, in 

 the Shetlands, and in Cornwall, and grants of 

 money made to the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, 

 the Fame Islands Association, and the Breydon 

 Wild Birds Protection Society. 



General Business. — Two important matters 

 touching the trade in birds' feathers were brought 

 forward. It was reported that a letter had been 

 sent to the Governor of British Guiana, giving 

 him certain information respecting the export of 

 Osprey plumes from the Colony, and thaj. a 

 courteous and lengthy reply had been received, 

 stating that careful watch had been and would 

 be kept, and that as the smugglers appeared 

 to elude the vigilance of the Customs officers, 

 public notices had been published offering 

 rewards for information that would lead to 



