48 



Bird Notes and News 



Trees, none that helped real education more, 

 because it developed the powers of observation ; 

 nothing which made the children love the 

 country more. He would like to see it taken 

 up with greater zest and in more schools, so 

 that the competition would be greater, the 

 winning of prizes more difficult, and thus the 

 honour to the mnners greater. The Shield and 

 prizes were presented bv Mrs. Ashley. 



A GOOD RECORD. 



The Headmaster of an Ambleside School writes : 

 " We have a wonderful lot of birds this year. 

 Our boys made a couple of nesting-boxes, which 

 they affixed to the trees. One is occupied 

 by a Redstart, which is hatching six eggs, 

 and the other by a Pied Flycatcher. There is 

 a Ground Lark's nest in the wood with five 

 eggs, a Sedge- Warbler's with six, and a Willow- 

 Wren's with seven (a lovely nest), a Tree- 

 creeper's with a family, a Tomtit's with a 

 family, a Robin's with six eggs, a Wren's with 

 seven, and one which the children call a 

 " Miller's Thumb's " with seven. There are 

 several Owls' nests in the neighbourhood. We 

 can easily see into two of them, two young 

 Brown Owls in each. Three youths were fined 

 at Ambleside for robbing a Heron's nest. We 

 were glad they were caught and had to take 

 the eggs back." 



IN THE COURTS. 



BiRDCATCHiNG. — At Bath on May 2nd, William 

 Brice was fined 5s. for setting a trap to catch Gold- 

 finches and Linnets ; the trap was forfeited, in spite of 

 the remonstrance of defendant's wife that her husband 

 wanted to catch Bullfinches in winter because he could 

 not read and did not smoke. The case was stated to be 

 the first of the kind in Bath and " brought for the 

 purpose of bringing to the notice of the public that the 

 Wild Birds Protection Act was in force." Bath is to be 

 congratulated on having discovered an Act that has 

 been in force for 40 years. 



At Epsom on May 3rd, William Martin, of Shoreditch, 

 was fined 40s. for cruelty to 18 Chafiinches. P.O. 

 Weeding, while takmg a prisoner to Brixton, saw the 

 man at Epsom station. One bird was dead, having 

 beaten itself to death against the wires, another had a 

 broken leg, and the others were unable to fly for some 

 time after being released. Another man with him 

 had a call-bird in his coat pocket. The cage was 

 confiscated. 



At Bromley, on April 22nd, John Barker, of Upper 

 Tooting, was fined 40s. for cruelty to five Linnets used 

 as decoy birds, which were braced with wire and fell 

 over on their backs in an exhausted condition when 

 the string was released. He had also in a box thirteen 

 birds which had been caught. Barker said he was out 

 of work and " had to do something for a living." He 

 and liis father, who stood surety, were also ordered to 

 pay 4s. costs each for defendant's non-appearance on the 

 previous day. 



Taking Gulls' Eggs. — At Lancaster, on June 4th, 

 at a children's court, four boys aged 6, 4 and 13, 

 were charged with taking 89 eggs of the Lesser Black- 

 backed Gull on Foulsliaw Mosses. The parents 

 pleaded that the eggs were needed for food. Let off 

 with a fine of 7s. 6d. each (the full penalty being £1 

 per egg), except Benjamin Taylor, who had been 

 previously convicted for the same offence and was 

 now fined 12s. 6d. 



The Bird-Dealer. — At Westminster, on May 31st, 

 two bird- dealers were fined £5 each and five guineas 

 costs, for keeping small birds in cages 7 in. by 6 in., hung 

 in the full glare of a hot sun. The magistrate said 

 that such cages if used at all should only be employed 

 as travelling cages, and the argument that they had 

 been customary for many years was no defence. 



Send this to your Milliner. 



AN OPEN LETTER TO THE MILLINERY 

 TRADE. 



Reprinted, with additions, from the "Millinery 

 Trades Gazette." 



The best Crop Protector is the 



Insectivorous Bird." 



C. Gordon Hewitt, D.Sc. 



BIRD-ALLY POSTCARDS 



QERIES of 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. 



_ __ 



ABC OF COMMON BIRDS 



A pocket Guide to the commoner Inland Birds of Britain 

 With short and simple ciescriptions 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. 

 Royal Society for the Protection of Birds 



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



Bird Notes and Nkws (issued quarterly) will 

 be sent post free to any address for Is. 6d. per annum, 

 payable in advance; single numbers, 4d. 



To Members of the Society subscribing 53. and 

 upwards per annum it is forwarded gratis and post 

 free. 



Printed by Vaoher & Sons, Ltd., Westminster Housfl, 

 S.W.I— 90702— and published by the ROYAi Society fob 

 THH Pbotbction OF BiBOB, 23, Queeu Anne's Gate, S.W.I. 



