28 



Bird Notes and News 



unfortunately prevented the tarrying out of 

 this purpose. Like most efforts not for the 

 immediate advantage of man himself, the Rome 

 Society suffers through lack of funds. 



* * * 



While press of other matter compels postpone- 

 ment of a second article in Bird Notes and New s 

 on " Bird Sanctuaries," it is interesting to hear 

 that similar sanctuaries to those for the London 

 parks are under consideration by the Man- 

 chester and Liverpool authorities. In Liver- 

 pool an equally desirable step has been taken 

 of a kind to which the L.0.0. strenuously objects 

 — the posting of conspicuous bills to stop bird- 

 nesting and general interference with the wild 

 birds throughout the public pleasure-grounds. 

 The L.0.0. desires to preserve birds by mean of 

 an admirable regulation contained with nearly 

 50 others in a small-type notice on a notice- 

 board. Liverpool bolcfiy makes known this. 



NOTICE. 



Under Bye-Law No. 20 



BIRDNESTING 



is 



STRICTLY 



PROHIBITED. 



All Animals, Fishes, Water-Fowl, Birds' Nests and 



Eggs ara Completely Protected. No person may 



iateriere or attempt to interfere with tnem in any 



way whatever. 



PENALTY £5. 



Other Oounoils and Public Authorities, please 

 copy. 



if * * 



Another attractive project is the proposal 

 to constitute a Bird Sanctuary at Ooate 

 Reservoir, This place, belonging to the Cor- 

 poration, is a pleasure resort of Swindon folk, 

 and being one of very few large pieces of water 

 in North Wilts is likewise a favoured resort of 

 waterfowl and other wild birds, some of which 

 at least woidd, there is little doubt, remain as 

 permanent residents and add greatly to the 

 interest of the locality if the birds and their 

 nests were protected. As Ooate is the birth- 

 place of Richard Jefferies and familiar to all his 

 readers, it will be strange indeed if the Wilt- 

 shire people do not feel inspired by pride 

 in his fame if by no other reason, to raise the 

 small amount required for fencing, etc., for 

 which they are asked by the Wilts Archaeo- 

 logical Society, the N. Wilts Field Club, and 

 the Mayor of Swindon. 



* * * 



Two popular writers on nature have almost 

 simultaneously been moved to teU of their joy 

 in the beauty of that most charming bird, the 



Grey Wagtail. In the Times Mr. G. A. B. 



Dewar acclaims it the most beautiful of English 

 small birds, " seven inches of sparkling per- 

 fection," rivalled only by the Redstart. 

 " W. W. W.," in the Western Morning News, 

 giving first place to the Kingfisher, and second 

 to the Redstart, places the Grey Wagtail 

 third, even while admiring its melodious song as 

 well as its form and colouring. The Kingfisher 

 has only colour, gorgeous though that is. 

 Where does that beechwood sprite, the Wood 



Wren, come in ? 



* * * 



It does not seem probable that the matter of 

 the B.O.U. and egg-collecting will rest at the 

 half-way house which it has reached. The 

 Union may have, or may not have, up and down 

 the country, a majority opposed to the extensive 

 clutch-collecting brought to light ; and may or 

 may not, as a body, wish to see Rule 7 (as 

 reiterated in the official letter to the Times) 

 observed without reference to the undefined 

 requirements of " the interests of science." 

 The members themselves may also have their 

 own reading of the connection between the 

 B.O.U., the B.O.O., and the Oological Dinner 

 Committee. The outer public, ignorant of all 

 these differentia and relationships, will possibly 

 experience qualms of uneasiness in regard to 

 the decision of the B.O.C. not in future to 

 publish in their Bulletin accounts of Oological 

 section dinners. They would rather hear that 

 offenders, well known to be members of the 

 B.O.U., had been asked to retire. The great 

 egg-collecting fraternity centred at Santa 

 Barbara, it will be remembered, replied to 

 criticism of their methods by deciding to 

 " conduct a certain amount of their business 

 behind closed doors." 



The feeling at the bottom of the whole 

 collecting business is illustrated at the moment 

 by the case of the Fulmar in Yorkshire this 

 summer. The Fulmar Petrel has never before 

 laid an egg in England, so far as is known, 

 but during the last year or two birds have been 

 seen on the Yorkshire coast, and in the spring 

 of 1922 several pairs took up their residence 

 on Bempton Oliffs — probably one of the worst 

 places they could have chosen, as these cliffs are 

 ransacked by the professional cUmbers for 

 Gull and Guillemot eggs. Three eggs of the 

 Fulmar (each pair produces but one) were 

 found, taken, and quickly " snapped up " 

 by collectors. Instead of wishing to increase 

 the number of Yorkshire-breeding or English- 



