36 



Bird Notes and News 



the Holy Communion with their heads carrying such 

 trophies of callous cruelty as I have referred to. Public 

 opinion — and especially the public opinion of the 

 Christian Church — ought to prove itself too strong 

 for the position traders in plumage have secured by 

 ruthless havoc and the destruction of some of the most 

 beautiful creatures with which the Creator in His 

 beneficence has enriched the world." 



Dr. Hensley Henson was one of those 

 advanced clergy who early gave their support 

 to the anti-plumage fight by exhibiting in the 

 .porch of St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, 

 when rector there, the " Story of the Egret " 

 poster published by the Royal Society for the 

 Protection of Eirds. 



Notes 



Protest is quickly strengthening against the 

 new and ghastly danger to wild birds of the 

 sea coast and of rivers through the discharge 

 of oil from petrol-driven boats. The full 

 cause of the abomination appears not to be 

 fully known ; but the results are only too 

 apparent. In addition to the destruction of 

 birds under horrible conditions, through getting 

 their plumage soaked and clogged by the foul 

 stuff, there is imminent danger to the fisheries 

 through the destruction of fish and fish-ova 

 and pollution of rivers. During the war it 

 appeared to be difficult to prevent the escape 

 or discharge of oil from submarines and other 

 vessels, but there is no occasion why the evil 

 should be allowed to establish itself for want of 

 precaution and care, or why action to prohibit it 

 should be delayed until it has grown to such 

 dimensions as to render action infinitely more 

 difficult. The Royal Society for the Protection 

 of Birds is collecting evidence, and will be glad 

 to receive communications from observers in 

 any part of the country respecting either sea or 

 river. Fishery Boards and anglers will do 

 well to be up in arms, and that quickly, in 

 conjunction with bird-lovers. 



A pathetic but charming story of a Grebe 

 comes to the Society from Mrs. Ashton Allen. 

 Towards the end of last year, it appears, sea- 

 birds were being constantly found on the beach 

 at Folkestone in a half-dying condition, their 

 plumage saturated with tarry oil. A young 

 Russian naval officer, a refugee from his 

 country, fond of and interested in birds, 

 succeeded in rescuing a Gull and Grebe, which 

 he took home, fed and cleaned. The Gull was 

 too far gone from starvation, and died. The 

 Grebe recovered, and after a fortnight's hos- 

 pitality was taken back to the sea ; it swam 

 about for a while, but on seeing its host moving 

 away uttered cries of alarm and swam rapidly 

 to shore. There was nothing to be done but 

 to take it home again. Further experiments 

 had the same result ; the bird was taken once 



a week to the sea for a swim, but nothing 

 would induce it to remain ; and by-and-by 

 its friend noticed that after being in the water 

 15 or 20 minutes it began to sink and then made 

 a rush for the shore. This was supposed to be 

 due to the loss of natural oil from its feathers 

 when it was vigorously cleaned to remove the 

 petrol. Meanwhile the Grebe became absolutely 

 tame, following the members of the family about 

 the house and garden, and when picked up 

 rubbing its head against their faces. Fresh 

 fish and sprats were procured for it daily, and 

 during the cold weather it loved to sit preening 

 itself near the fire with its kind friends. The 

 bird lived this life for three months, and then 

 died quite suddenly and without any warning. 



Now comes a less pleasing part of the tale. 

 The Grebe was found, when its head was 

 stroked, to have two or three shots just under 

 the skin, and may have had others elsewhere. 

 During the time when the unfortunate half- 

 starved birds were helpless on the beach a 

 man had amused himself by shooting at them, 

 until a Russian lady insisted on the end of the 

 " sport." After this the Russian refugees may 

 be inclined to say that, whatever the hospitality 

 of English people to political fugitives, they 

 have among them those who are Bolsheviks to 

 the birds. 



^ H: ^ 



A somewhat similar incident is reported by 

 Mrs. Arnold, who, staying at Broadstairs, found 

 boys potting at a helpless Guillemot. The bird 

 was taken to her rooms and the petrol cleaned 

 off with rags, feather by feather, until it could 

 be released by the shore and wing its way once 

 more. Hundreds of sea-birds, it was reported 

 to her, had been coming ashore dead, especially 

 near Deal. The aid of good Samaritans may 

 save a few, but how few ! of those caught in 

 the clogging oil. 



The Duke of Rutland has, through ill-health, 

 unhappily had to resign the Chairmanship of 



