48 



Bird Notes and News 



12 birds in their possession, several of 

 which were so coated with lime that they 

 had to be destroyed. Only one man gave 

 his correct name to the police ; he was let 

 ofif. — At Romford, on August 1st, Charles 

 Griffiths was ordered to pay 5s. for taking 

 Linnets. The birds were liberated. 



Caged Owls at Kingston market. — At 

 Kingston, on August 21st, Frederick Barnes, 

 of Surbiton, was charged with having two 

 recently taken Owls in his possession. The 

 birds were seen on a stall at Kingston market 

 by the Assistant Secretary of the R.S.P.B., 

 one being apparently fresh from the nest. 

 Barnes, on being spoken to, said first that 

 Owls were not protected, and on this being 

 controverted, that these two came from 

 Germany. The Bench dismissed the case, 

 but refused costs to defendant. — The 

 Surrey Comet comments on the case 

 (August 31st) : — 



" It has taken a long time to convince our 

 legislators of the value of birds in keeping 

 down insects and vermin, and now that at 

 last some legal protection is afforded to our 

 feathered friends, it is distressing to find 

 anything in the nature of supineness on the 

 part of magistrates in putting the law in 

 force. The case seems to have been a very 

 clear one. The Surrey County Coimcil Order 

 makes it illegal to possess, or to offer for 

 sale at any time of the year., recently taken 

 Owls. On a stall in Kingston market two 

 Barn Owls were found exposed for sale, and 

 one of them at any rate was this year's 

 bird. The fact that the Owls were there, 

 and that they were offered for sale, was not 

 disputed, the excuse offered being that they 

 were obtained from a lady in Surbiton who 

 had brought them from Germany. Miss 

 Gardiner points out that this defence is 

 altogether beside the mark, ' as possession 

 and offering for sale are distinct offences, 

 whether the Owls are taken from a nest 

 at Tolworth or from a German middleman.' 

 We have no means of knowing what were 

 the considerations which induced the justices 

 to dismiss the summons, and we should be 

 very sorry to think that it indicated any 

 lack of sympathy with the purpose of the 

 County Council Order . . . No encourage- 

 ment should ever be given to those who seek 

 to evade the provisions of the Orders made for 

 the protection of bird life." 



Another Kingston Case. — At Kingston, 

 on September 12th, Henry Smith of Fulham, 

 was fined for having 61 wild birds, mostly 

 Goldfinches and Linnets, in his possession. 

 The birds were liberated. 



NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



"For Love of Beasts/' 



No one interested in birds and animals should 

 omit to read and to circulate the brilliant articles 

 by Mr. John Galsworthy, reprinted with permission 

 from the Pall Mall Gazette, by favour of the author. 



" No nation approaches ourselves in ;' love of 

 beasts ' ; by none is the ear inclined more readily 

 to the appeal of dumb suffering. Mr. Galsworthy, 

 whose interest in the Society for the Protection of 

 Birds is so well known, has given that appeal the 

 enhancement of all his dramatic subtlety." 



Observer, July 14th, 1912. 



Price 2d., post-free. 



" The Story of the Egret." 



Probably no set of photographs has ever don© 

 better work than " The Story of the Egret," as 

 photographed by Mr. Mattingley. A bijou edition, 

 eight pages, duodecimo size, is now issued by the 

 R.S.P.B., and is especially suitable for enclosing 

 in letters, for placing on drawing-room tables, and 

 for other purposes for which the larger albums and 

 the wall-sheets are not convenient. 



One copy Id., by post l^d. ; one doz. 9d. 



"The Swallows' Winter Home." 



The Society's Greetmg-card for 1912-13, will be 

 ready November 1st. Design specially painted by 

 Mr. Charles Whymper, the eminent artist, and 

 reproduced in colour. 



Price 3d., one doz., 2/8. 



THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR 

 THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS, 

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



Bird Notes and News (issued quarterly) will 

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 payable in advance ; single numbers, 3d. 



To Members of the Society subscribing 5s. and 

 upwards per annum it is forwarded gratis and post 

 free. 



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

 published by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds 

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



