86 



Bird Notes and News 



the feathered tribe. Some birds undoubtedly 

 work considerable harm to fruit crops, but 

 all birds, without exception, do some measure 

 of good, either directly or indirectly. The 

 harm done by some birds may possibly out- 

 weigh the amount of good they do, though 

 authoritative opinion differs on this point, 

 and for that reason their restriction may be 

 called for. Environment, experience, and, 

 above all, a sense of responsibility, must be 

 the guiding principles when seeldng to 

 interfere with Nature's ordinances. It is 



almost incredible in these days of enlighten- 

 ment that such deliberate slaughter as these 



' clubs ' boast of should be tolerated 



" We \vrite in no sentimental strain, 

 though common decency must revolt against 

 the youth of the villages being encouraged 

 in such battues, but in the firm belief that 

 greater trouble than any wrought even by 

 bullfinches or blackbirds awaits the industry 

 of fruit-growing if such excesses are not put 

 a stop to, and these so-called rat and sparrow 

 clubs brought under proper supervision." 



Notes. 



A Bill, known, from the name of the origina- 

 tor, as the Weeks-McLean Bill, has passed 

 through the United States Congress for giving 

 Federal protection to migratory birds. Birds 

 which pass from State to State in their 

 northern and southern migrations mil now^ 

 be under the guardianship of the Biological 

 Survey of the agricultural department, which 

 has given earnest attention and careful in- 

 vestigation to the habits of birds and to 

 their work in the destruction of weed-seeds 

 and insect-pests. It is believed that this will 

 help to preserve many useful species which 

 State laws have failed to protect efficiently. 

 The edible or " game " birds have suffered 

 especially, those of economic value as 

 breeding species being killed in their migra- 

 tions across other States. It is a similar 

 loss to that which European countries owe 

 to the hecatombs of small birds in Italy. 

 Needless to say, the Bill means a vast 

 amount of labour to the Biological Survey, 

 who are preparing maps to show the breeding 

 and winter quarters, time and line of migra- 

 tion, and present protection of some 150 



species. 



* ♦ ♦ 



The collecting curse xmfortunately has 

 roots in America as well as in Britain. 



A British bird-lover writes from Palestine : 



" Jericho is a fascinating place for bird- 

 life, and I was indignant to hear that a gang 

 of Americans from Harvard has been working 

 havoc there. They brought away, among 

 other booty, eighty eggs of Cinnyris osea ! " 



Cinnyris osea is a beautiful little Sun-bird, 



of which Canon Tristram says, in his " Fauna 



of Palestine " : "To the naturalist this is 



the most interesting species of the whole 



Palestine avifauna. In the first place it 



belongs to a truly tropical family. In the 



second place it is absolutely peculiar to the 



Holy Land, and wdthin its limits is confined 



to a very narrow strip of territory." So 



disgraceful a theft cannot be visited too 



severely by the social leaders of Harvard. 



* * * 



An unusual number of lectures in con- 

 nexion with the Society have been success- 

 fully organised of late by Hon. Secretaries, to 

 whom many thanks are due. In addition 

 to those named at the Council meeting, may 

 be mentioned a capital meeting held at 

 Winchester on June 4th, when Mr. Kearton 

 gave one of his delightful talks on birds. 

 Canon Vaughan, in whom the Winchester 

 Chapter have so devoted a student of botany 

 and ornithology, presided, and Miss Williams 

 was rewarded by a large audience for the 



