Bird Notes and News 



89 



on Februaiy 14th and April 18th for 

 Watchers for the season of 1913, and sub- 

 mitted reports from them, and also on 

 the destruction of birds by pole-traps in 

 Norway ; on the exportation of birds to 

 British Columbia ; on the birds of Ailsa 

 Craig and Achill, etc. Various communi- 

 cations were read and instructions given 

 for action where necessary, and the reports 

 of several local Bird Protection associa- 

 tions were received and considered. 



General Business. 



The Standing Committees were ap- 

 pointed. Legislation in regard to the 

 trade in plumage was discussed, and it 

 was decided to send certain commiinica- 

 tions to the Members of the House of 

 Commons and to other persons and cor- 

 porations concerned. Action to be taken 

 with respect to the use of pole-traps in 

 Norway (as recounted to the Annual 

 Meeting of the Society by Mr. Hanbury) 

 was agreed to, and other subjects were 

 considered. 



The Watchers Committee met again 

 on June 2nd, and the PubHcation 

 and General Purposes Committees on 

 June 20th. 



Next Meeting of the Council, July 18th. 



PROTECTION OF MIGRATING 

 BIRDS. 

 A good start has been made with the 

 experiment at British lighthouses, de- 

 signed to test the efficacy of the apparatus 

 invented by Professor Thijsse for saving 

 migratory birds. As explained in the 

 Spring Number of Bird Notes and News, 

 Professor Thijsse contends that a large 

 proportion of the vast number of birds 

 which perish at lighthouses do so, not 

 through flying directly at the lantern, but 

 by circHng about it until they become 

 exhausted ; and his provision of racks 

 •and perches for them to aUght and rest 



upon, has proved highly successful at the 

 great TerschelHng Lighthouse of the 

 Frisian Islands. Heer Thijsse's device 

 had to be altered largely in order to adapt 

 it to the different shape and construction 

 of St. Catherine's, the English lighthouse 

 selected for the initial experiment ; many 

 thanks are due to the Board of Trinity 

 House and the principal engineer. Sir 

 Thomas Matthews, for the care and atten- 

 tion which have been given to the work. 

 Owing to the many details and difficulties 

 to be met with in making and fixing an 

 extended series of rests on and about the 

 great lantern, it was unfortunately found 

 impossible to have the apparatus satis- 

 factorily accompUshed in time for the 

 great spring migrations ; but in some 

 respects the delay was fortunate as it 

 enabled inspection to be made and sug- 

 gestions and improvements carried out 

 before the whole work was executed. 



On April 26th, Mr. Meade- Waldo, 

 Chairman of the Watchers Committee, 

 visited the Lighthouse in company with 

 Heer Adolphe Burdet, of Overveen, Hol- 

 land, Heer Thijsse's co-adjutor, who came 

 to England for the express purpose, and 

 Mr. Eagle Clarke, of the Royal Scottish 

 Museum, one of the greatest authorities 

 on Bird Migration. They were met by 

 the Superintendent of South-coast Light- 

 houses, and by Lord Montagu of BeauUeu, 

 Colonel and iVIrs. Seely, Dr. F. D. Dre^vitt, 

 and Captain Tailby. Mr. Montagu Sharpe 

 was unable to be present, being detained 

 in London. Lord Montagu has pubHshed 

 a very interesting account of the visit 

 in The Car of May, and kindly allows 

 some of his photographs taken on the 

 occasion to appear in the present num- 

 ber of Bird Notes and News. A careful 

 inspection was made of the racks erected 

 and of the plans prepared for the remain- 

 der. The test had already been sufficient 

 to show that the birds would not settle 



