22 



Bird Notes and News 



of course, this fact has been entirely overlooked 

 by the local police, and by the " W. Davies," 



who sends the record. 



* * * 



The continued decrease in the number of 

 Swallows has been again commented on very 

 generally this summer. With occasional partial 

 recoveries, it has been noted for now more than 

 twenty years ; yet no solution has been found. 

 " What we want to know is," as the Fruit- 



grower observes, " Is the reduction in numbers, 

 which if continued at the same rate will end in 

 the complete absence of the species, due to 

 human agencies ? " Are the birds still des- 

 troyed wholesale in the South of France for 

 the plumage trade or for any other purpose ? 

 The House-Martin, whose nests are often 

 stolen by House-Sparrows and still oftener 

 knocked down by " neat " householders, 

 remains fairly plentiful. 



Economic Ornithology 



PROTECTION OF THE LAPWING. 



In view of the value of the Lapwing to agri- 

 culture, says the Journal of the Ministry of 

 Agriculture (July, 1920), the Ministry is desirous 

 that the protection afforded to this bird should 

 be extended. In Departmental phraseology, 

 " Quite apart from the limitation of numbers 

 by direct destruction of birds, the natural in- 

 crease of the Lapwing is hindered by reason of 

 the fact that the eggs are much sought after 

 as a table delicacy." It is pointed out that 

 the Home Office Committee recommended 

 complete protection of nests and eggs, except, 

 before April 15th, from owners of land, and 

 proposed this as the- minimum protection 

 which should be given the eggs. Present laws, 

 however, do not allow of this reservation of 

 rights to landowners or occupiers. 



In May, 1919, it may be remembered, the 

 Royal Society for the Protection of Birds sent 

 a circular letter to all County Councils asking 

 for better protection of the Lajjwing and its 

 eggs. Since then Orders have been obtained by 

 seventeen County Councils and eleven County 

 Boroughs, protecting the bird all the year, 

 making, with the five which had previously 

 adopted this measure, a total of twenty-two 

 County Administrative areas in which full pro- 

 tection is given. It is satisfactory to find the 

 Ministry now taking up the matter, if a little 

 late in the day. Country Life comments (July 

 24th, 1920) r— 



Why should tbe Lapwing be killed at all ? It does 

 not make the best of eating, and is a small table bird. 

 Many people absolutely refuse to eat it. No harm 

 would be done by forbidding the destruction of 

 Lapwings at all times and in any circumstances. 

 For some time past ornithologists have noted with 

 regret that the size of the flocks continues to diminish. 

 . . . Tbe Lapwing ie less numerous to-day in its 



wildest haunts than it was, say, fifteen or twenty years 

 ago. 



SEABIRDS AND THEIR UTILITY. 



Reporting in Nature on inveBtigations into 

 the food of seabirds, Dr. W. E. Collinge says 

 these all go to show that with a few exceptions, 

 e.g., the Cormorant and Shag — ^the food of 

 each species is partly beneficial to man, the 

 bulk being of a neutral character, while the 

 injuries done are less than the benefits rendered. 

 " Whilst not advocating any special protection, 

 except in one or two cases, any agitation for 

 their destruction cannot be condemned too 

 forcibly, for, altogether apart from sentimental 

 reasons, it is extremely unlikely that our 

 fisheries would benefit or show any marked 

 improvement, even were hundreds of thousands 

 of these birds destroyed annually, whikt 

 agriculture would certainly be the sufierer 

 by such a loss." 



MARKET-GARDENERS AND BIRDS. 



A correspondent from the Isle of Wight 

 writes : — 



I have had six weeks lately at a little farm in the 

 interior of the Island, where the people never kill 

 any birds, though they make their living principally 

 out of fruit and vegetables. A Flycatcher reared her 

 brood on the porch ; she had her nest in the middle 

 of a Celine Forestier rose, and it was pretty to see the 

 little birds among the yellow roses. A tame (though 

 wild) Woodpigeon fed regularly in the garden, eating 

 caterpillars off an oak tree ; Goldfinches swung and 

 sang all day ; Turtledoves purred in the orchard ; 

 Larks and Swallows and Swifts, Greenfinches and 

 Robins were all plentiful. A Chiffchaff worked hard 

 at the blight on a plum-tree close to our windows ; and 

 the only complaint was "there are not enough of those 

 birds." A man came and asked if he might catch 

 Goldfinches in the orchard for sale, but was refusvd 

 indignantly. 



