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Bird Notes and News 



BIRD-MURDER IN CHINA. 



Under the heading " Game-killing in 

 China : Cold Murder and Cold Storage," the 

 Peking correspondent of the Times (Nov. 28, 

 1917) describes the destruction of game-birds 

 by gun, poisoned grain, net, and trap, in 

 China to fill the cold storage of trading 

 companies in Manchuria and on the Yangtsze. 

 There are no game laws in China, and 

 though the export of game was forbidden 

 until 1909, in that year the British Govern- 

 ment was approached with a view to ob- 

 taining some relaxation of the rule, and 

 unfortunately their negotiations with the 

 Chinese Government resulted in the prohibi- 

 tion being raised for three months in each 

 year. As a consequence game, then plentiful, 

 is fast disappearing. 



A petition, signed by many influential 

 Chinese as well as foreigners, is conseqviently 

 being prepared for presentation to the 

 Government, urging that the export of the 

 Pheasant and other non-migratory birds 

 be prohibited, and also that this prohibition 

 be extended to " the skins and plumage 

 of birds like Egret and Kingfisher, the 

 destruction of which for commercial pur- 

 poses is fast leading to the extinction of 

 these beautiful creatures." 



China was one of the first countries where 

 the plumage-traders located their stores 

 of " picked-up " feathers, and Mrs. Archibald 

 Little told in one of the Society's leaflets 

 of the killing of the Egrets there. 



Notes. 



If ever Bird-Protectors and their Society 

 have been justified in their doings, it has 

 surely been in the warning given last spring 

 against the destruction of small birds and 

 the urgent protest against the stolid stupidity 

 of the Board of Agriculture in refusing to 

 sow such a warning broadcast. Last winter 

 left little need for the operations of the 

 " sparrow club " (as commonly understood), 

 for net, trap, or poison. The dearth of 

 birds has been followed up by alarmmg 

 increase of insect life ; another such winter, 

 another such fillip to rampant ignorance as 

 last spring's " kill the birds " campaign, 

 and the country mil be in terrible plight. 

 The main thing just now is to give such food 

 as is possible to help the small birds through 

 the winter. The importance of the bird as 

 an ally should be recognized once and for all. 



cannot live without the bird, as Michelet 

 said long ago. 



The Thornhill District Agricultural Com- 

 mittee (Dumfries) deserve full publicity for 

 the recommendation they have recently 

 Issued to landowners to cut down all trees 

 in and around fields under cultivation. 

 " The presence of trees," says the circular, 

 " not merely reduces seriously the yield 

 of growing crops, but affords harbourage for 

 birds which stUl f uther reduce the diminished 

 jdeld. Another aspect of the question is the 

 national need for timber and the high price 

 now obtainable for it." The last part of 

 the sentence is the true " canny " touch. 

 But even the canny Scot may make an 

 expensive blunder. 



In addition to the hints for feeding birds 

 given in the Society's leaflet, " Winter and 

 the Birds," readers may like to experi- 

 ment with palm-kernel meal, recommended 

 by the Board of Agriculture as a cheap and 

 plentiful food for poultry : if they can get it, 

 or with other poultry-meals, mixed, for pre- 

 ference, with more familiar seed, fat, or 

 scraps. Information as to results would be 

 welcomed by the society. There need be 

 no apology for using such food. Man 



In one of the dailies Dr. Stuart Tidey, 

 recently returned from British Columbia, 

 comments on the fact that crops are less 

 prolific and agriculture less flourishing there 

 than he had anticipated. One factor he 

 relates is " the exposure of the greater part 

 of the cultivated land to every wind that 

 blows, as a result of the intentional, deliberate 

 and blind destruction of every tree or shrub 

 that is not directly productive. The 

 Dominion Government is at the present 



