32 



Bird Notes and News 



IN THE COURTS. 



BiEDCATCHiNG. — At the West London Police Court, 

 on September 3rd, Joseph Goodrick was fined 40s. for 

 catchmg Goldfinches and for using a decoy bird braced 

 in between a pair of nets in such a manner that its 

 body was badly bruised. The magistrate remarked 

 that trapping birds was a very cruel trade and ordered 

 the nets to be forfeited, but allowed the man to retain 

 the decoy bird. 



At Axbridge, on October 25th, George A. Skinner 

 was fined £3 for taking Goldfinches. He had two nets, 

 two decoy birds, two " braced birds," and had stuck 

 up a row of seeding thistles further to attract the birds. 

 He had been previously fined and made his living by 

 snaring birds, coming to the place in a motor-car. Six 

 of the birds died shortly after capture. Birds, decoys, 

 and nets were all forfeited 



At Wycombe, on September 24th, Charles Pope was 

 fined £1 for taking Goldfinches. He had a pair of nets 

 and four decoy birds. Three of the birds died, and 

 defendant pleaded that in consequence of this loss he 

 should be let off easily ; he had been " fond of birds " 

 all his life and it was his hobby to go out and catch them. 

 Nets were forfeited, but not the surviving decoys. 



At Cambridge, on October 16th, Charles Osier and 

 Arthur Barrett were fined each 5s. and costs for taking 

 Goldfinches, and £2 each and costs for cruelty to decoy 

 birds ; nets and decoys forfeited. It was stated that 

 Cambridgeshire was notorious for the doings of bird- 

 catchers, who sent great numbers of birds to the East 

 end of London, many dying on the way. 



At Solihull, Harold and Reuben Cosier, Benjamin 

 Cosier and Joseph Cooper were fined 10s. each for 

 taking Larks and Linnets, and 10s. each for giving 

 false names and addresses, and Benjamin a further 

 20s. for cruelty to the decoy bird, which was in a 

 dying condition. 



Cruelty to Larks. — At Brighton, Albert Mitchell, 

 describing himself as an out-of-work soldier, was 

 summoned for cruelty to Larks. He was caught leav- 

 ing the Roedean Estate with 20 Larks in a small bag. 

 The birds were then half-dead and died shortly after- 

 wards. Fined 40s., and bound over in £5 under the 

 Prevention of Poaching Act. 



Leniently Dealt With. — At Odilmm, on Dec. 18th, 

 Harry Surridge, of Yateley, was charged with catching 

 Goldfinches and with cruslty to a decoy Linnet. 

 He had nets and ten cages containing different birds. 

 Defendant complained that owing to the action of the 

 police his wife, a district nurse, had received notice to 

 leave. It was pointed out to him that he was in the 

 wrong, and not the police ; but he was let off with 

 fines of 5s. and 4s., and his nets returned to him. 

 (Defendant made the usual common mistake of sup- 

 posing disgrace to lie, not in breaking the law but in 

 being found out.) 



" The best Crop Protector is the 

 Insectivorous Bird." 



C. Gordon Hewitt, D.Sc. 



An important decision in the Supreme Court of 

 Prince Edward Island (Canada), under the Migratory 

 Birds Convention Act, shows that local indifference or 

 opposition cannot override the Federal law. A certain 

 Russell C. Clark was apprehended in the close season 

 by a Federal Game Officer for killing Canada Geese, 

 migratory birds. The magistrates dismissed the case, 

 but on appeal defendant has been convicted and fined 

 and his gun confiscated ; he had also to pay all costs. 



BIRD-ALLY POSTCARDS 



QERIES o{ 12, each with quotation as to 

 value of Birds in Agriculture, from 

 Dr. Chalmers Mitchell, Dr. Gordon 

 Hewitt, Dr. Hornaday, Sir Harry 

 Johnston, Edward Newman, M. 

 Edmond Perrier, and others. 



Twelve Cards, assorted, 6d. ; 3 packets, 1/3, 

 post free ; 100 Cards, 3/6. 



AN 



ABC OF COMMON BIRDS 



A pocket Guide to the commoner Inland Birds of Britain 



With short and simple descriptions Irom 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. 



NESTING-BOXES 



Revised Catalogue now ready of the R.S.P.B. 



Nesting-boxes and Food-Stands for Wild Birds. 



JILL BRITISH MADE. 



Tree-hole Boxes (all the " Berlepsch " improvements) ; 

 Walden Boxes. For Tits, Nuthatches, Wrynecks, Wood- 

 peckers, Wagtails, Robins and other species. 



Encourage the Bird and discourage the caterpillars by 

 providing houses for hole-nesting birds. 



Royal Society for the Protection of Birds 



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



Bird Notes and News (issued quarterly) wilj 

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To Members of the Society subscribing 5s. and 

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