Bird Notes and News 



127 



a high general level, and are accompanied 

 by excellent dramngs; Sheldon (C.E.) is 

 a young team of distinct promise, the papers 

 being simple, bright, and genuine ; Slindon, 

 too, makes a most creditable first appearance, 

 some prettily recorded incidents showing 

 that the children are interested in their 

 study ; and Withnell (United Methodist) 

 is another newcomer that does well and will 

 do still better. It is pleasant to come across 

 such champions of the Birds as the young 

 people of Diptford ; they make a capital 

 start, and what they lack as yet in learning 

 they make up for in nice feeling. Mawdesley 

 (St. Peter's R.C.) cadets need further training 



in this direction, but some of the papers 

 are very fairly done. Greenhill should take 

 a fixst-rate place when more outdoor observa- 

 tion succeeds diligent book-learning, Charles- 

 worth, though working in the right way, 

 neglects the rules of the Competition. 



Schools wishing to compete in 1914 are 

 reminded that Entry-forms should be sent 

 in, if possible, by February 14th. A Special 

 Prize is ojBFered by a Member of the Council 

 of the R.S.P.B. for the best Essay on any one 

 of the British Owls, with special reference to 

 its utiHty. 



Full particulars of the Competition can be 

 had from the Secretary, R.S.P.B. 



IN THE COURTS. 



Shooting a Bittern. — ^At Hythe (Hants), 

 on November 28th, Captain Wright, of 

 Beaulieu, was fined £1 and lis. costs for 

 shooting a Bittern. The bird was formerly 

 in the aviary of Mr. Turner-Turner, but 

 had long enjoyed its liberty ; it found its 

 way into adjoining grounds, and was shot 

 by defendant, who explained that he would 

 not have done so had he known it was a 

 tame bird. The Bittern being protected 

 throughout the year in Hants, the Royal 

 Society for the Protection of Birds prose- 

 cuted, in order to make the fact known that 

 the wild birds might not be destroyed with 

 impunity. 



Preservation of Owls. — ^At Bedale, on 

 September 30th, Harry Kirk, a farmer, was 

 ordered to pay costs for offering two Owls 

 for sale. — ^At Marlborough, on November 8th, 

 Edward Whitlock was ordered to pay lis. 6d. 

 costs for shooting an Owl. 



Yorkshire Peregrines. — ^At Sedbergh, on 

 September 24th, Joseph Sanderson, farmer, 

 was fined the nominal sum of 5s. and 6s. 6d. 

 costs, for having two Peregrine Falcons in 

 his possession. Defendant said he bought 

 them from a man who took them at Cautley 

 Crag, as he was interested in birds and 

 thought that those of the hawk or evil 

 nature were not protected ; they cost a good 



deal in keep, and he advertised them for 

 sale. They had now been set free. The 

 Yorkshire Naturalists Union inspired the 

 prosecution. 



The Bird - dealer. — At Liverpool, on 

 October 30th, William Cookson and William 

 Wright, bird-dealers, Avere fined £1 and costs 

 each for cruelty to Larks. About a hundred 

 birds were in a four-decker cage at the back 

 of St. John's-market, ^^-ith not even standing 

 room, and without food or water ; some were 

 sold at a penny each. 



Cruelty to Decoys. — ^At Bristol, on 

 October 29th, George Packer was fined 10s. 

 and costs for ill-treating a captive Goldfinch. 

 The bird was braced to a stick so that 

 feathers and skin of breast and wings were 

 badly chafed ; when taken by the poHce it 

 was too exhausted to stand and died next 

 day. — ^At Westbury, on November 10th, John 

 Sly, of Warminster, was fined 10s. for taking 

 Goldfinches, and 10s. for cruelty to two 

 Linnet decoys. When found on the downs 

 with his nets set, he crammed one of the 

 birds into his pocket ; it was fastened with 

 string and Avire, and was bleeding and 

 exhausted. The other bird was similarly 

 braced and cut. Defendant said he had 

 been at it seventeen years without being 

 copped, and would go at it again ; it was 

 his living. He used hen-birds because he 

 got 2s. 6d. a dozen for cocks, but hens were 



