8 



Bird Notes and News 



by Canon Rawnsley. The Vicar and Curate 

 of St. John's, the Congregational minister, 

 the Vicar of Thornthwaite, Mr. and Mrs. 

 F. E. Marshall, and others took part in the 

 proceedings. 



The Frome C.E. Boys received the Somer- 

 set Shield at a pleasant gathering on Decem- 

 ber 22nd; and the Frome Council School 

 Girls, winners of the Second Prize, were 

 entertained to tea by Mi's. Croclcford and 

 presented with prizes and medals on Decem- 

 ber 17th. 



Mrs. Cheverton, wife of the Chairman of 

 the Southampton Education Committee, 

 distributed the prizes at the Western District 

 School, Southampton, and planted a moun- 

 tain ash tree. Mr. Beeston spoke on the 

 delights of natiu-e-study, and the boys sang 

 suitable action and part-songs. 



The Foundry Lane Boys, another suc- 

 cessful Southampton Team, received their 

 awards from Councillor F. Bath, and Coun- 

 cillor Mouland presented and planted a larch- 

 tree. 



At Ridge, Mrs. W. W. Asliley, of Broad- 

 lands, presented the awards, which were 

 supplemented by Mrs. Suckling, and Miss 

 Buckell gave a lecture on Birdp. 



Norfolk's miited Festival crowded the 

 Training College, Norwich, with teachers and 

 children from many parts of the county. 

 The Chairman of the County Education 

 Committee presided, ]\Ii's. Russell Colman 

 gave the Shield and prizes, and a delightful 

 address was contribiited by the Rev. J. G. 

 Tuck. 



Specially good Festivals have also taken 

 place at Princes Risboro' (where the cantata 

 " Vogelwied the Minnesinger " was admirably 

 performed), Cartmel Fell, Privett, Chillington, 

 Bedworth (prizes presented by Mr. W. L. 

 Johnson, M.P.), Morhanger (cantata "Father 

 Time and his Children "), Barton Stacey, 

 Hinton Waldrist,Coleshill, Stratford-on-Avon, 

 Heskin and elsewhere. 



IN THE COURTS. 



Shooting an Owl. — At Belper, on Feb- 

 ruary 17th, Walter Daniels, colliery stoker, 

 was charged with shooting a Barn Owl at 

 Greave's Wood, Heage. He was employed 



by a Mr. Glossop, who has the shooting, to 

 look after the wood, and seeing a bird fly 

 out of a tree one moonlight night he shot it, 

 without knowing what it was. It was duly 

 sent to a taxidermist and described in a 

 local paper as a " magnificent silver -hooded 

 owl." A letter was read in court from the 

 R.S.P.B., who had called attention to the 

 case, stating that as defendant was a 

 worldng man they did not ask for a heavy 

 penalty, but were anxious that the law for 

 the protection of these useful birds should 

 be respected and that men should not be 

 employed as keepers who are ignorant alike 

 of the law and of birds. Defendant was 

 consequently fined only 6s. 6d., but was 

 severely reprimanded by the Chairman. 



Shooting a Carrier-Pigeon. — At Hal- 

 stead, on February 22nd, a youth of sixteen 

 was fined 10s. for shooting a carrier-pigeon. 

 The bird was caiTying a message on War 

 Office service, so that the offence came under 

 the Defence of the Realm Act. (The Globe, 

 commenting on the case, says : " The 

 instinct of brutality which tears the wings 

 from an insect develops into such cruelties 

 as rifling the nests of birds and tlirowing 

 stones at defenceless animals. It is a vice in 

 itself, and tends to create idle and degenerate 

 slackers instead of stalwart young men who 

 will make keen and eager soldiers when the 

 country has need of them.") 



Hooligans and Birds. — At Romford a 

 gang of boys, fifteen and seventeen years of 

 age, were charged with breaking into a 

 rhubarb field and damaging fences and 

 plants, and two of them also with Smiday 

 bird-catching and cruelty to decoy-birds. 

 They were in possession of nets, cages, and 

 freshly caught birds. Various small flnes 

 were inflicted, the Bench considering the 

 offenders " respectable " lads, and the bird- 

 catching and cruelty " boyish acts." 



Bird Notes and News (issued quarterly) will 

 bo sent post free to any address for Is. per annum, 

 payable in advance ; single numbers, 3d. 



To Members of the Society subscribing 5s. and 

 upwaids per annum it is forwarded gratis and post 

 free. 



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

 published by the Royal Society for the Protection of Bikus, 

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



