Bird Notes and News 



25 



Watchers Committee. 

 The employment of twenty-two watchers 

 for the breeding-places of rare birds in 

 numerous districts in England, Wales, 

 Scotland, the Shetlands and the Orkneys, 

 was approved, and it was reported that 

 bird-catchers, dealers' shops, and other 

 matters were being followed up by the In- 

 spectors. A considerable correspondence 

 had taken place with county authorities 

 and with societies in Norfolk, with refer- 

 ence to the statements made by the Duke 

 of Rutland and Mr. Bonhote at the Annual 

 Meeting of the R.S.P.B., as to the destruc- 

 tion of Bearded Tits, Bitterns, Kingfishers, 

 and Nightingales. Mr. Meade-Waldo and 

 Dr. and the Hon. Mrs. Drewitt were 

 thanked for gifts of field-glasses for the 

 use of Watchers. 



General Business. 



Mr. Montagu Sharpe reported that 

 during a recent visit to Egypt he had, as 

 Chairman of the Council of the R.S.P.B., 

 interviewed various Government officials 

 on the subject of the protection of native 

 birds, especially Quails and Herons. It 

 appeared that most of the bird-trapping 

 was done by aHens on land over M'hich it 

 is very difficult to exercise control ; also 

 that the Egret has practically disappeared 

 from Lower Egypt. The Egyptian De- 

 partment of Agriculture had issued a 

 circular on the importance of protecting 

 Herons, and it was beHeved that the 

 interviews held by the Chairman and the 

 suggestions made on both sides would 

 have useful results. The Standing Com- 

 mittees for the year were appointed and 

 the action of the Watchers in co-opting 

 Miss E. L. Turner and Mr. Keith 

 Henderson Avas approved. 



Meetings of the General Purposes and 

 Watchers Committees were held on May 

 I7th. 



Next Meeting of Council, Julyl9th,1912. 



THE CAGING OF BIRDS. 



The following letter (dated May 6th, 

 1912) from the Duchess of Portland, 

 President of the R.S.P.B., has appeared 

 in a large number of newspapers : — 



" As the season has arrived when our wild • 

 birds are nesting, I beg you A\ill allow me 

 the opportunity of appealing through your 

 columns to the public to refrain from buying 

 or catching them and confining them in 

 small cages. 



" Of course, the Acts of Parliament and 

 Orders prohibiting the taking of wild birds 

 are in force all over the country at this time 

 of the year ; but, apart from that, I should 

 like to entreat people, on the ground of 

 humanity, not to condemn Avild birds to 

 life-long imprisonment in cages of totally 

 inadequate size. Captive birds in such cases, 

 besides bruising their wings and bodies in 

 fruitless endeavours to escape, are apt to 

 be neglected, possibly more from want of 

 thought than any desire to be cruel, but 

 in either event suffering is caused to a more 

 or less degree. 



"The sightof these innocent little prisoners 

 sometimes crowded together in one small 

 cage, is not a pleasing one ; in my opinion 

 it is a selfish practice and should be dis- 

 couraged. 



" The large majority of wild birds, as is 

 well knoAVTi, serve a useful purpose to man- 

 kind, and I earnestly appeal to everyone to 

 allow them to enjoy their liberty instead of 

 bringing them into captivity under con- 

 ditions which cause great suffering to the 

 unfortunate \nctims and distress to lovers 

 of animals." 



INTERNATIONAL 

 HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION. 



The Society had a stall for nesting-boxes 

 and literature at the International Horti- 

 cultural Exhibition at Chelsea, May 22 

 to May 30, 1912, and were allotted space 

 at one end of the Sundries Tent. The 

 general appearance of the stand is shown 

 by the photograph in this number of Bird 

 Notes and News. Nesting-boxes, British 



