32 



Bird Notes and News 



IN THE COURTS. 



A Captive Owl. — At West London Police 

 Court, on June 18th, Charles Vogan, chimney- 

 sweep, of Childs Street, Earl's Court Road, 

 was charged with taking and possessing a 

 Brown Owl. An agent of the R.S.P.B., with 

 a police sergeant, went to the house and saw 

 defendant, who protested that he trapped 

 the bird because it took his caged Linnets, 

 and that it had since escaped ; it was found 

 in a loft, in a miserable condition, and Avas 

 subsequently released in a suitable place. 

 For the defence it was alleged that the Owl 

 was caught three weeks before, and was 

 therefore not recently taken. Mr. Mead 

 said the offence was fully proved, but dis- 

 missed the summons under the Probation 

 of Offenders Act rather than grant a case. 



The Nature Student Abroad. — At Hor- 

 sham, on May 4th, a boy, named Jock King, 

 was fined £2 and 16s. costs for shooting a 

 tame Macaw, stated to have cost £20, belong- 

 ing to Mr. Hiley, of Ifield. The boy said he 

 thought it was an Eagle and might attack his 

 father's chickens. 



Catching " Sparrows." — At Eastbourne, 

 on April 30th, William Morley, senr., and 

 William Morley, jun., were convicted of 

 being in possession of thirteen newly-taken 

 Linnets. The men were on the Crumbles 

 with three decoy birds and nets, and said 

 they had " an important order for five hun- 

 dred Sparrows " and had a perfect right 

 to catch the birds. The birds caught, and 

 in a basket with a false bottom, were all 

 Linnets. It was urged that the Order was 

 not advertized in the local papers as required 

 by the Act, and on this ground and on the 

 ground that Linnets have only recently been 

 added to the Schedule, the men were let 

 off with a fine of 10s. and costs. It is to 

 be hoped that the Eastbourne authorities 

 will not be caught napping again, and will 

 realize that even Sparrows may not lawfully 

 be caught on public land during the Close 

 Season. 



More Bird-catching. — At Stockport, on 

 May 16th, John Clarke was convicted of 

 using bird-lime to catch birds. He had a 

 decoy bird and freshly limed sticks, but 

 said he had seen a notice about catching 

 wild-birds and meant to use the lime for 



catching flies. Although this was his second 

 appearance he was let off on payment of 

 costs. At Gosport, on April 24th, Robert 

 Paton was fined 14s. and 16s. costs for being 

 in possession of two newly-caught Gold- 

 finches and ten Linnets. He had a net and 

 four decoy birds, and had been at work in a 

 disused garden near Fort Monkton, where 

 nine dead hen Linnets v/ere found, killed 

 and left as useless. Apparatus and birds 

 were confiscated. 



" Hunting Flowers." — At Chester, on 

 May 18th, Charles Woodcock, a schoolboy, 

 was ordered to pay costs for taking tAvo 

 young Thrushes. When spoken to by the 

 policeman he said he was hunting flowers, 

 but the birds were found in his pocket. It 

 Avas stated that posters relating to Close 

 Time had been left at the schools in the 

 division. 



Torturing a Crow. — At Mullingar, on 

 May 25th, James Barry, a caddie, was sent 

 to a reformatory for a month for mutilating 

 a CroAv on the golf-links. 



Now Ready, Price One Shilling, post free. 



FARM, GARDEN, and BIRDS: 



How to protect Corn, Fruit, and Vegetable 

 Crops without destruction of Bird-life. 



Prizc-winniug Essays, by E. Pui uell Jones and E. J. Piatt, ■with 

 extracts from papers I'y twenty-six other Competitors. 



The subjects clealfc with include : Scares and Scare- 

 crows; Guns; the Eook-boj ; Windmills and Kites; 

 Nets and Netting ; Protection of Fruit and Fruit-Buds ; 

 Protection of Seeds and Seedlings ; etc. 



" Every farmer, market gardener, or indeed grower 

 of any crops, should read the pamphlet before he com- 

 plains about there being too many birds. He will see 

 that if he is suffering from birds it is because he fails 

 to employ simple safeguards during a short season, for 

 at times the birds are invaluable to him." — Manchester 

 Guardian. 



THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR 

 THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS, 



23. QUEEN ANNE'S GATE. S-W. 



BiBD Notes and News (issued quarterly) will 

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

 payable in advance ; single numbers, 3d. 



To Members of the Society subscribing os. and 

 upwards per armum it is forwarded gratis and post 

 free. 



Printed by Withkrby & Co., 326, High Holborn, W.C, and 

 published by the Royal Society for thb Protection of Birds, 

 33, Queen Anne's Gate, S.W. 



