44 



Bird Notes and News 



The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds 



COUNCIL MEETING. 



The quarterly meeting of the Council was held 

 on April 22nd, 1921, at the Guildhall, West- 

 minster, Mr. Montagu Sharpe, K.C., Chairman, 

 presiding. 



The Hon. Secretary's report gave particulars 

 of sixteen County Council Orders issued since 

 January 20th, 1921, the majority of these being 

 for the better protection of the Lapwing, and 

 of recent prosecutions for the killing of rare 

 birds. Forty-two lectures had been given, and 

 thirty-two Bird and Tree Festivals held. 



The Finance and General Purposes Com- 

 mittee transacted the financial business. The 

 appointment of Mr. H. J. Wain as Hon. Secre- 

 tary in South Derbyshire was confirmed, and 

 the following Fellows and Members were 

 elected : — 



Fellows : Allan G. Ambrose, Miss Frances E. Bag- 

 shawe, the Countess of Brecknock, Mrs. Brinsley 

 Brooks, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. C. W. D. Chevallier, Mrs. 

 Edward Clodd, Miss E. M. Cole, Mrs. Croly, Mrs. 

 Frederick Curtis, W. E. Found, Hon. F. R. Henley, 

 Mi's. Harrison, O.B.E., W. R. Johnson, Mrs. Richard 

 Lawson, Mrs. Stuart Moore, J. Needham, Miss Mary 

 Odette, Reginald G. Stonham, Miss Clara Vasey, Mrs. 

 Vulliamj', the Countess of Winchilsea, Mrs. Hugh 

 Wormald, Mrs. WjTich. 



Life Fellow : N. H. FitzHerbert. 



Members : F. F. Banfield, Herbert J. Barnard, 

 G. H. Bartlett, H. L. A. Beach, R. Bell, Mrs. Birch, 

 G. H. Bostock, Miss M. A. Bostock, Miss Braddon, 

 A. M. Buxton, Lady Robert Cecil, Miss Alice M. Colvin, 

 Deaconess Anne Colvin, Brig. -General F. W. H. Cox, 

 Herbert Drake, Miss Evelyn Dransfield, Miss Davis, 

 Mrs. Fletcher-Campbell, Mrs. Fulton, A. W. Gosling, 

 Sir George Greenwood, Captain Lionel Hall, Mrs. 

 Johnston Higgins, E. D. K. Harrison, K. Holdwa3^ 

 Mrs. A. Howard, H. Hudson, H. B. Keatinge, M.B., 

 F.R.C.S., C.M.G., Mrs. Lidwill.Major G.Lubbock, Lady 

 Robert Manners, Mrs. Mounsey-Heysham, Miss Mont- 

 gomery, Mrs. Newton, R. North, Noel Packwood, 

 A. E. Powell, A. Pickard, Alex. B. Randall, Mrs. 

 Riccard, Miss Russell, Mrs. S. Sinclair, Colonel Maurice 

 Spencer, C.M.G., Sir Arthur Spurgeon, Albert Stain- 

 thorpe, Miss G. Stevenson, Miss J. O'SuUivan, C. 

 Symons, Mrs. TrelaAvney, C. M. Turner, H. J. Wain, 

 W. Webb, Miss R. O. Williams, Mrs. Yeld. 



Life Members : V. R. Cockerton, John E. S. Dallas, 

 Sir John R. Gladstone, Mrs. Arthur Sykes. 



The Watchers' Committee reported the 

 arrangements made for Watching in 1921 in 

 various areas in England, Wales and Scotland, 

 and on special efforts made to ensure the pro- 

 tection of birds in certain districts in Norfolk, 

 Suffolk, Devonshire, Hampshire, Cornwall and 

 Surrey. By consent of the Air Ministry 

 notice-boards would be erected on the Alde- 

 burgh-OrfordncBs coast, calling attention to 



the protection of birds and eggs ; and appeals 

 to the Admiralty and to Trinity House, made 

 with the view to securing further help from 

 coastguard and lighthouse-keepers, had been 

 sympathetically received. The destruction of 

 birds by waste petrol-oil on seas and rivers 

 was discussed. 



The Second Reading of Mr. Trevelyan 

 Thomson's Plumage Bill, and the tactics 

 adopted by the Opposition ; the Inspector's 

 report on East End bird-shops and markets, 

 and on the use of covered cages in connection, 

 especially, with " singing contests " ; the con- 

 tinued destruction of rare birds ; and Bird 

 Protection in South Africa were among other 

 subjects considered. 



TRAP-SHOOTING. 



The Captive Birds Shooting (Prohibition) Bill 

 has been piloted safely through both Houses 

 by Sir Burton Chadwick and Lord Lambourne. 

 It passed the Commons on May 3rd, and was 

 read a Second time in the Lords on May 10th, 

 not, however, without opposition. The Com- 

 mittee Stage on June 7th gave opportunity for 

 an hour's lively discussion, as number of amend- 

 ments being moved by Lord Lanesborough, who, 

 in a maiden sj^eech, protested against rushing 

 through, in response to a " Press stunt," 

 " grandmotherly legislation " ; sparrow and 

 starling shooting was the poor man's sport, 

 and trap-shooting altogether good for the 

 makers of guns, powder, and sporting acces- 

 sories. He also brought in the unemployment 

 argument, saying that a great number of people 

 who caught the birds, looked after the grounds of 

 all the little clubs, and so on, would be thrown 

 out of work ; and dwelt on the value of the 

 shoots for destroying such "vermin" as sparrows 

 and starlings. Over a million and a half 

 sparrows had been shot in these clubs in 

 England last year. In one club alone, close to 

 London, 12,000 starlings were shot and were 

 paid for at the rate of 4s. a dozen, which was 

 more than any farmer would pay, and but for 

 this destruction the country would be overrun 

 with them. 



Lord Buckmaster said the practice aimed at 

 was a degradation of sport, and threw an unjust 

 and undesirable reflection upon legitimate 

 sport. The sparrow clubs referred to appeared 

 to him an abomination, and he could not 

 imagine anything more hateful. Lord Ribbles- 

 dale said no one alleged this was a sport, and 



