48 



Bird Notes and News 



IN THE COURTS 

 Taking Eggs at Ainsdale.— At Southport, on 

 June 26th, C. H. Gowland, of Aintree, was summoned 

 for taking wild birds' eggs on the sandhills at Ainsdale. 

 The Chief Constable stated that the Southport Order 

 prohibited the killing of all wild birds and the taking 

 of all eggs in this area, and the Royal Society for the 

 Protection of Birds had appointed Watchers to see 

 that the law was obeyed. Wilfred Clarke, a Watcher, 

 saw defendant searching the ground. Asked what 

 he was doing he said he was looking for a Shellduck's 

 nest. " You know they are protected here," said 

 Clarke, and defendant replied, " Yes, but I did not 

 think they were protected this much " — meaning, 

 presumably, that he did not think there would be 

 Watchers on the spot. On Clarke's order he produced 

 four Plovers' eggs, two Terns' eggs, and a blow-pipe. 

 The Chief Constable added that the wholesale 

 destruction of birds along the coast had been appalling. 

 For some time past there had been absolute slaughter 

 in this district, and for this reason the Order had been 

 granted by the Home Secretary. This was the first 

 prosecution under that Order, but iseveral others were 

 pending. Defendant was fined 10s. an egg, £3 in all, 

 the Chairman stating that the full penalty of £1 per 

 egg would probably be imposed in any subsequent 

 cases. 



An Unexpected Lesson.— At Newport (Mon.), on 

 August 7th, George E. Norman was summoned for 

 using nets for catching wild birds. He had four cages 

 containing Linnets a<nd a net set between. He said 

 he was only learning how to catch them, and had 

 " a fine erection " at the rear of his house where they 

 would have " plenty of liberty." The Mayor, in 

 ordering defendant to pay the costs, said the object 

 of the law was that wild birds should be preserved 

 for the pleasure of everybody. 



The Professional Birdoatcheb. — At Blackburn, 

 on August 31st, John Elliott was fined £1 for using 

 bird-lime and being in possession of newly caught 

 birds. He had four freshly-taken birds in a cage, 

 and two decoy birds, and admitted having taken 27 

 birds in one morning. The Chairman (Dr. J. Barr) 

 said the law should prevent the catching of wild birds 

 at any time of year. (The prosecution was ordy possible 

 because the close-time in Lancashire has been ex- 

 tended to September 1st.) 



The Catapult. — At Nottingham, on August 9th, 

 George Hallam and Horace Hart, two youths, were 

 fiuaed 40s. for cruelty. Finding nests containing 

 fledglings they fired into them, smashing the nestlings* 

 legs and tearing their bodies. 



Wanton Destruction of Martins. — At Keswick, 

 on August 26th, Walter Lowden, boots at the Queen's 

 Hotel, was charged with killing five yoimg Swallows 

 on August 10th. He was seen leaning out of a top- 

 floor window of the house, knocking down the nests 

 under the eaves. Two young birds fell out of one 

 nest and were killed on the pavement. He then went 

 to another part of the building and prodded the 

 bottom out of a second nest, when three other nestlings 

 fell and were killed. The manager of the Hotel was 

 standing in the Market Square, warning defendant 

 when people were about to pass. For the defence it 

 was stated that the birds made a mess about the 

 hotel and were a nuisance. Mr. Lloyd Wilson suggested 

 that the nesfs should be destroyed while the eggs were 

 in. The Clerk said that was an offence too. (Lftughter.) 

 Dismissed on payment of costs. 



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