96 



Bird Notes and News 



girl of ten or twelve or thirteen jfinds the 

 task assigned him not a very simple one, to 

 be placed at a table with sheets of foolscap 

 paper before him and given an hour in which 

 to compose an essay on the bird selected — 

 the gist of his observations ; to be reminded 

 at the same time that he is one of the team 

 of nine chosen for the work, that the eyes 

 of the village are on him, that he must do 

 his best to win the county shield for the 

 school. Nevertheless the children are doing 

 remarkably well, because, as I have said, 

 their heart is in it, and one is delighted to 

 find that this study of a bird has not only 

 quickened the child's interest in nature but 

 has taught him to think of the bird in a new 

 way, with the feeling which seeks to protect. 

 We may safely say that these children mil 

 not forget this new lesson they are being 

 taught, whatever else may drop out of their 

 memories when they leave school ; that in 

 coming time, when they are fathers and 

 mothers themselves, they will instil the same 

 feeling into their own children." 



IN THE COURTS. 



The Pole-Trap. — At Bromley, G. Law, 

 head gamekeeper, and J. Malsbury, assistant, 

 were summoned for using, on April 15th, a 

 steel trap affixed to a tree in a larch wood 

 on Hengrave Hill, Cudham. Law said his 

 employer, Mr. Maconachie, had trouble with 

 Jays, and gentlemen hunting objected to 

 ground traps. The solicitor for the defence 

 urged that the trap was used legitimately 

 to protect the birds [the Pheasants, not 

 the Jays, it is presumed], and it was a 

 serious thing that private land should be 

 tramped over by people for the purpose of 

 getting up a charge of this kind. Law 

 was fined 5s. and lis. costs, Malsbury lis. 

 costs. 



The Bikd-catcher. — At Epsom, James 

 Williams, of Bermondsey, was fined 10s. 

 and 4s. 6d. costs for cruelty to two 

 Chaffinches of which he was in illegal 

 possession. He was riding a bicycle through 

 Ewell on Easter Monday, and had a basket 

 in which were the two newly-caught birds ; 

 the v\ings and tail of one were tied together 



so that the wing was broken, and it must 

 have suffered great pain. Defendant said 

 his family had no dinner. 



Cruelty to a Crow. — At Nottingham, on 

 March 22nd, John Trickett, farmer, was 

 con\dcted of cruelty to a Rook which he 

 caught in a steel trap and tethered to a 

 peg to frighten other birds from his field. 

 Its leg was broken and it was crying out 

 with pain. Defendant said he was " very 

 sorry," and was let off on payment of costs. 



" The Plume Question 



in a Nutshell." 



Leaflet No. 70., summarising the facts as to 

 this trade. Reprinted, with additions, from 

 " Bird Notes and News." 3d. per doz. 



Price One Shilling, post free. 



FARM, GARDEN, and BIRDS: 



How to protect Corn, Fruit, and Vegetable 

 Crops without destruction of Bird-life. 



Prixe-winning Essays, by E. Purnell Jonts and E. J. Piatt., with 

 extracts from paptrs by twenty-six other Competitors. 



The subjects dealt with include : Scares and Scare- 

 crows; Gruns ; the Rook -boy; Windmills and Elites; 

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

 Protection of Seeds and Seedlings ; etc. 



"Erery farmer, market gardener, or indeed grower 

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

 plains about there being too many birds. B e will see 

 that if he is suffering from birds it is because he fail? 

 to employ simple safeguards during a short season, for 

 at times the birds are invaluable to him." — Manch^esttr 

 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 58. and 

 upwards per annum it is forwarded gratis and post 

 free. 



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

 Published by the Eotax Socieit foe the Peotection of Birds, 

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



