Bird Notes and News 



49 



General Business. 

 The arrangements for the Society's Annual 

 Meeting and for Council Meetings in 1917 

 were discussed, and various questions relating 

 to the trade in birds' feathers, the destruction 

 of rare birds, the Society's nesting-box 

 depot, and other subjects, were considered, 



OBITUARY. 



The Society has sustained a heavy and 

 grievous blow in the sudden death, on the 

 22nd October, of Captain T. M. J. Tailby, 

 one of the most energetic and indefatigable 

 members of the Council. A constant attend- 

 ant at its meetings whenever it was possible 

 to him, he was present at that of October 20th 

 and full of keenest interest in the work done 

 and that which lay in front. He left town 

 the same night for his Leicestershii'e place, 

 Skeffington Park, and appeared to be in his 

 usual health on the following day, when he 

 was actively superintending the planting of 

 trees in his grounds. On Sunday morning 

 ke was taken suddenly ill whilst dressing, 

 and died in a few minutes. He had been for 

 some time under medical treatment, his 

 bodily strength being unequal to his strenuous 

 calls upon it. 



A lover of birds from childhood, Captain 

 TaHby's devotion to the cause of Bird Pro- 

 tection in all its phases amounted almost to 

 a passion. Whether it was the preservation 

 of rare species, the detection of the hated 

 pole-trap, the defence of small birds from the 

 catcher and dealer, or the abolition of the 

 loathed plume-trade, his chivalrous and 

 impulsive nature was instant in support o 

 every effort. For Owls in particular he had 

 a strong personal aflPection, an outcome of 

 which was his offer annually of special prizes 

 for essays on the utility and protection of 

 Owls j^** connexion with the Public Schoo 



and the Bird and Tree Competitions. For 

 years it may be mentioned, too, he regularly 

 visited a captive Brown Owl in the aviary 

 at Battersea Park, taking it tit-bits, and 

 seeing to the improvement of its quarters. 

 His sympathies in this respect and on behalf 

 of the Hawks and Falcons sometimes brought 

 him into collision with his brother-sportsmen, 

 as he never allowed game-preservation to 

 stand in the way of humanity to wild life. 

 He had a horror of the cage-bird traffic, 

 and contemplated the introduction into 

 Parliament of a measure which he hoped 

 might put a practical end to bird-catching. 

 He joined the Council of the Society in 1906. 

 On the outbreak of war. Captain Tailby, 

 as an officer in the II th Hussars, offered his 

 services to the War Office, and was engaged 

 in the training of cavalry recruits at Alder- 

 shot, and later as transport officer. His 

 only son, who is in the same regiment, is 

 serving in France. He was 54 years of 

 age. 



SONG-BIRDS AS FOOD. 



It will be remembered that the sale of 

 song-birds as food in the provision depart, 

 ment of a large West-end store last spring 

 led to the asking of a question in the House 

 of Commons, when the Home Secretary 

 strongly deprecated the innovation. The 

 firm in question undertook not to offend 

 In future. A similar reply has now been 

 received by the R.S.P.B. from Messrs. 

 ^Vhiteley, who also introduced Thrushes and 

 Blackbirds into their provision stores, but who 

 write, under date November 14th, 1916 :— 



" We have no desire to continue a practice 

 that may be contrary to the wishes of the 

 majority of the British public, and in the 

 circumstances we have given instructions 

 that, in future. Thrushes and Blackbirds are 

 not to be sold in our establishment." 



