80 



BIBB NOTES ANB NEWS. 



wrote to M r. Hoseason, with whom he was acquainted, 

 asking permission to visit the island, saying that 

 two friends of his were anxious to see the 

 birds. Considering Mr. Grierson's name sufficient 

 guarantee, Mr. Hoseason telegraphed permission. 

 On June 3rd, the two friends alluded to — Major 

 William Stirling, Muir-of-Ord, Ross-shire, and 

 A. L. Jessop, Leasingham, Sleaford, Lincolnshire — 

 arrived, without Mr. Grierson, and seeing 

 Mr. Hoseason's son, who was acting as Watcher, 

 produced the telegram, and said they were in 

 search of WhimbrePs eggs. They were told they 

 could not have them, as the eggs were protected. 

 They then said they would have a look round, and 

 were followed by the Watcher. On coming to a 

 Great Skua's nest they said it was " a great pity to 

 leave such nice eggs," and eventually that they 

 would take them and stand the consequences. 

 They also took four Richardson Skua eggs. The 

 prosecution of the two offenders, Major Stirling 

 and Mr. Jessop, ensued. Mr. Grierson, for the 

 defence, argued that the offence was not a serious 

 one, and that it would be possible for the Court to 

 impose the full penalty and yet allow defendants 

 to keep the eggs. The Court did not take 

 Mr. Grierson's view of his friends' action. A fine 

 of £1 for each egg was imposed, and the eggs 

 declared forfeited — three to be sent to the 

 Edinburgh Museum and three to Christ's 

 Hospital, London. 



NOTES. 

 " Watching " in 1907. 



It is satisfactory to learn that the watching 

 carried on this year, both by the R.S.P.B. 

 Watchers' Committee and by local associations, 

 has been generally successful in its objects. White- 

 tailed Eagle, Great and Richardson Skuas, Red- 

 necked Phalarope, Whimbrel, Kentish Plover, 

 Ringed Plover, Green Plover, Stone Curlew, 

 Roseate Tern, and Little Tern are among the 

 birds which have specifically benefited by the 

 presence of R.S.P.B. Watchers, in addition to 

 numerous sea and coast birds and those nesting 

 on the Bass Rock and on St. Kilda, which enjoyed 

 the protection of the special legislation obtained for 

 them. To give details, interesting as they are, 

 would be unadvisable, as information about the 

 breeding places of rare birds should be kept as 

 secret as possible. In one instance the sympa- 

 thetic mention in a friendly lecture of a colony 

 of rare birds sent a number of visitors to 

 the breeding area and added greatly to the 



Watchers' anxieties. The Wolferton and Blakeney 

 and Cley Societies report an increase of Little 

 Terns and Shelducks ; Breydon has been visited 

 by Spoonbills and Black Terns, which may some 

 day be restored to the breeding species of Norfolk 

 if the Broads continue to be carefully protected. 

 The fact that, in spite of this precaution, an 

 eminent naturalist recently received from a 

 dealer an offer of Bearded Tits' eggs from Norfolk 

 (one of the rarest of our birds and confined 

 to the Broad districts) shows how vigilant such 

 efforts need to be, and, in some measure, how 

 unsatisfactory the result until "possession" as well 

 as " lifting " is made illegal. 



Birds of Staffordshire. 



The ornithological record in the report for 1906-7 

 of the North Staffordshire Field Club chronicles 

 the first appearance of the Little Owl in the county. 

 Unfortunately it was shot. The bird is also noted 

 as nesting in West Bedfordshire ; it has bred for 

 some years in the Woburn district, but is 

 apparently extending its area. Staffordshire 

 further records a Golden Oriole ; and a Short- 

 eared Owl "in Whiston Wood, where the owner 

 recognizes the value of all Owls and accordingly 

 protects them. He does not sustain any damage 

 from them to his pheasants or other game, but, on 

 the other hand, greatly benefits by these useful 

 birds preying on rats, mice, voles, and other 

 vermin." 



Game Protection in the States. 



The Biological Survey of the United States have 

 just published the concluding volume of a series 

 of three dealing with the Game and Bird Protection 

 laws of the States. The first volume gave a 

 summary of laws relating to seasons, shipment, 

 sale, and licences ; the second of laws concerning 

 non-game birds. The third is devoted to the 

 game laws, and contains a brief history of the 

 game-warden system, a summary of the important 

 provisions of the laws, and extracts from the 

 statutes of the various States showing the duties 

 and powers of wardens, who appear to combine 

 the business of watcher and game-keeper. 



While in England over-preservation and big bags 

 have led to the unfortunate supposition that Game 

 and Wild Bird protection are necessarily antago- 

 nistic, in the States the two things have always 

 been closely allied ; and though the present 

 volume is of less interest than its predecessors to 



