8 



Bird Notes and News 



There is still another consideration, and an 

 important one. The fact that animal food, 

 such as grubs and slugs, is speedily digested 

 and absorbed into the substance of the bird, 

 while hard matter, such as cereals, remains 

 long in the stomach, makes all laboratory 

 examinations apt to be misleading in point 

 of the proportions of the two kinds of food. 



Diverging from the immediate subject, Mr. 



Little adds : — 



" Talking of Rooks, you may remember that in my 

 notes from France I spoke of the tameness of the 

 Rooks. I have noticed the same thing at tlie Camp 

 here. It seems that they learn individually that 

 khaki is harmless, as do the dogs and cats. It Is 

 surprising with what unconcern a cat will walk by 

 a crowd of men, all pushing, shouting, etc. A 

 London cat would be terrified at such a commotion." 



BIRDS AND HOUSE-FLIES. 



Mr. T. Arnold writes from Cirencester Park 

 Gardens a strong defence of the Starling, which 

 has been deprived of protection by the 

 Gloucestershire County Council : — 



" I don't know who advises the Government on 

 such matters, but I have no hesitation in saying that 

 whoever it may bo they are not very observant, either 

 as ornithologists or entomologists. This bird is the 

 most useful of all birds to the farmer. It is continually 

 destroying destructive soil insects. It is only in 

 severe weather when the soil is too hard for it to dig 

 the insects out that it ceases its activities. But there 

 is an important item of its usefulness often overlooked 

 to which I am going to draw attention, viz., its diligent 

 search for the larvse of insects in the excreta of animals. 

 A short time ago we were fortunate in getting a lecturer 

 to come and give our Gardeners' Society a most im- 

 portant lecture on disease-carrying insects, and 

 among these insects the common house fly was said 

 to be the most dangerous in this country, and was 

 responsible for the death of a great many children. 

 The lecturer pointed out the importance of keepmg 

 our streets free from horse manure, because this fly 

 deposited its eggs in this and other excreta of animals. 

 Any observant person must have noticed that birds 

 diligently search all such manure for the larvae of 

 insects, and by these means millions of flies are pre- 

 vented from being hatched, or their pupae from 

 maturing. Go any day and watch the starling turning 

 the excreta of all kinds of animals in search of 

 insects. ... I must once again put in a good word 

 for the house sparrow, which is responsible for the 

 destruction of the larvae of untold numbers of house 

 flies by searching horse manure in our streets and 

 roads." 



Now Ready 



ANTI-PLUMAGE POST CARDS. 



What eminent men say about the Plume-trade, 

 1 dozen assorted, 6d. 3 dozen post free, Is. 3d. 



BIRD DESTRUCTION BY CHILDREN. 



At a meeting of the Kirkby Stephen and 

 Hartley School Managers on February 4th, the 

 following resolution was carried unanimously : — 



" That, with a view to preventing in the future the 

 wholesale destruction by school children of the nests, 

 eggs, and young of wild birds of practically all descrip- 

 tions in this district, which has been much too prevalent 

 during recent years, the Westmorland Education 

 Committee be requisitioned to instruct the head 

 masters and mistresses of the county to warn the 

 children attending their respective schools against 

 touching, or in any way interfering with, birds' nests 

 and their contents ; and, for the future, to forbid 

 birds' eggs to be exposed in the schools of the county, 

 except if and when required in connection with and 

 during lessons on bird life, as such exhibitions act as 

 an incentive to boys and girls to make similar collec- 

 tions for themselves. Further, that a copy of this 

 resolution be sent to the Chief Constableof Cumberland 

 and Westmorland, with the suggestion that he instruct 

 his officers to use their best endeavours to prevent the 

 destruction of birds' eggs and young, and cause pro- 

 ceedings to be taken in all proper cases brought to his 

 notice." 



AN 



ABC OF COMMON BIRDS 



A pocket Guide to the commoner Inland Birds of Britain 



With short and simple descriptions from which 

 they may be identified by the unlearned ; their 

 local names ; and brief notes on the food they 

 eat that may be regarded as " pro " or " con " 

 the interests of husbandman and gardener. 



16mo. 64 pages. Price 6d., by post 7d. 



BIRDS : and the way to AVERNUS. 



^ ird-'P roieclion and ^ird-'Protection Laws 



viewed from the economic standpoint. 



By LINDA GARDINER, 



Reprifited by permission from " THE NINETEENTH 



CENTURY AND AFTER." 



THREEPENCE. 



Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 



23, QUEEN ANNE'S GATE, S.W.I. 



Bird Notes and News (issued quarterly) will 

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 payable in advance; single numbers, 4d. 



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Printed by Vacher & Sons, Ltd., Westminster House, 

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