Bird Notes and News 



5 



Times of India (September 27th, 1913), indicate 

 that it is customary to blind the birds by 

 stitching up their eyes. This revolting cruelty, 

 comments the paper, " will be a fresh argument 

 in favour of those who are trying to put a 

 stop to the plumage traffic." 



The story of the Sind Farms has been 

 revived recently by Professor Maxwell Lefroy, 

 but he has apparently no evidence of their 

 existence under conditions that could be 

 tolerated or under an inspection that can be 

 accredited. Neither science nor humanity will 

 think it worth while opposing a Bill for pre- 

 serving millions of birds of many species, 

 because some wretched Egrets are imprisoned 

 in poultry-runs in order that their feathers 

 may be smuggled into Europe. As Mr. Julian 

 Huxley says, we must have protection before 

 we go further. If, later on, cultivation can be 



proved successful, a licence can be issued 

 under Clause 2 of the Bill. 



It will be noted that the trade fix attention 

 exclusively on the plumage of the Egret. 

 Not only is it the most widely distributed of 

 any family of birds required, so that extermin- 

 ation is slow even in specific areas, but it is 

 one of very few birds of which certain feathers 

 only are brought to market. It might be 

 difficult to argue that Birds-of-Paradise, 

 Humming-birds, Terns, Trogons, and all the 

 rest shed their complete skins into the hunters' 

 hands while their bodies continue to enjoy 

 existence in forest or farm. Though even 

 here the analogy of the snake might serve 

 to inspire students who have evolved the 

 feather-lined nest of the Heron and the 

 breeding-plumage that is assumed four times 

 a year ! 



The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. 



ANNUAL MEETING. 



The Duke of Rutland, Vice-President, presided 

 over the 29th Annual Meeting of the Society, 

 at the Middlesex Guildhall, on March 16th, 

 1920, when there was a large attendance. The 

 adoption of the report and financial statement 

 was proposed from the Chair, seconded by 

 Mr. Montagu Sharpe, and carried unanimously. 

 The following resolution was proposed by the 

 Duchess of Somerset, Vice-President, seconded 

 by Canon Rawnsley, and supported by the Dean 

 of St. Paul's (Dr. Inge), Sir Charles Hobhouse, 

 Bart., Sir Harry Johnston, G.C.M.G., Colonel 

 Yate, M.P., and the Marquess of Aberdeen : — 



" That letters be sent from tins meeting to the 

 Prime Minister and to the President of the Board of 

 irade, asking them to use their best endeavours to 

 secure the passing into law during the present Parlia- 

 mentary Session of a measure which will prohibit the 

 Importation into the United Kingdom of the Plumage 

 of the Wild Birds now being killed for millinery 

 purposes." 



It was carried with enthusiasm. The re- 

 election of the Duchess of Portland as President, 

 and of the Council and Officers of the Society, 

 was also agreed to unanimously, on the motion 

 of Sir William Portal, Bart., F.S.A., seconded 

 by Major Radclyffe Dugmore, F.R.G.S. ; and 

 the thanks of the meeting to His Grace for 

 presiding were conveyed by Sir John Cockburn 

 and Mr. J. R. B. Masefield. 



A report of the proceedings appears in the 

 Annual Report of the Society, now published 



and obtainable from the Society's office, 23, 

 Queen Anne's Gate, S.W. 



COUNCIL MEETING. 



The quarterly meeting of the Council was 

 held at the Guildhall, Westminster, on February 

 6th, 1920, Mr. Montagu Sharpe, Chairman, 

 presiding. 



The Hon. Secretary reported that lectures 

 illustrated by the Society's slides had been 

 given by Mr. H. D. Astley, Miss Barlow, Mr. 

 G. Daybell, Mr. George Frisby, Mr. T. H. Forbes, 

 Mr. J. Gill, Miss Kershaw, Miss McCombie, and 

 Mr. Masefield. Amended Bird Protection 

 Orders continued to show the satisfactory 

 response to the Society's plea for the preserva- 

 tion of the Lapwing, which had been added to 

 the list of birds protected all the year, together 

 with its eggs, in Cambridgeshire (November 

 26th), Durham (November 28th), Oxfordshire 

 (December 8th), and the County Borough of 

 Northampton (November 20th). The bird has 

 been also protected fully, and its eggs after 

 April 24th in each year, in Lincolnshire (Lindsey 

 Division), (December 22nd). The Stone Curlew 

 is added to birds protected all the year in 

 Cambridgeshire, the eggs of Stone Curlew, 

 Goldfinch, Kingfisher, and Owl (except Little 

 Owl) are protected, and the reservation of 

 Wicken Fen as a breeding area is renewed for 

 three years. Twenty-three Bird and Tree 

 Festivals had been held, including those of 



