64 



Bird Notes and News 



(Dorking) are third and fourth. None of these, 

 however, succeeds in bearing off the First Prize 

 from older liands, as is but natural ; and Hinton 

 Waldrist (Berks.) and SHndon (Sussex) take 

 the lead, essays from the former including 

 some good observation of the Reed- Warbler. 

 Walshaw (W. Yorks.) does excellent work ; 

 the Slad School, Stroud (Glos.) and Horsted 

 Keynes are notably promising first-year students; 

 Felixstowe Ferry (Suffolk), Totley (Derbyshire), 

 Golden (W. Yorks.), and another newcomer, 

 Stubbings (Yorks.), do well ; Waltham St. 

 Lawrence (Berks.) and Gazeley (Suffolk) would 

 have secured higher places if more outdoor 

 observation was discoverable in their papers. 



IN THE COURTS 



The Costebmonger and his Larks, — At West- 

 mhister on November 25th, William John Warwick, 

 a Westminster costermonger and bird-dealer, was 

 fined forty shillings, with three guineas costs, for 

 cruelty to three Larks. The birds were found in a 

 miserable condition, with wings badly bruised, 

 attention to their state having been called by Mrs, 

 Hilda Sherwood. Mr. Francis, the magistrate, said 

 it was a most deplorable trade. It was a monstrous 

 thing to keep Larks in cages, and he would release 

 every such bird kept as these were. Defendant 

 said he had kept birds as a hobby for forty years ; 

 he loved to hear them sing, and cruelty was the last- 

 thing he would think of. He would take his other 

 Larks into the country and release them. [We hope 

 someone saw it done, — Ed,] 



BiBDCVTCHiNG. — At Newport (Mon.), on November 

 5th, Henry Jones, convicted of setting a net to catch 

 Linnets, said he was catching them to sell at 6d. 

 each, and did not know it was against the law. 



Wild Birds at Breydon. — At Great Yarmouth, 

 on September 11th, Samuel Colby was convicted and 

 fined for shooting a Ringed Plover at Breydon Water, 

 an area under the protection of the Norfolk Wild 

 Birds' Protection Committee. The Watcher saw 

 the bird shot, after which men threw mud and sticks 

 at it as it was wounded, but it got away. There 

 had been much shooting on Breydon lately. 



Bird-Slaves. — At Erith, on October 7th, James 

 Roper was fined 30s. for cruelty to decoy Linnets, 

 The police explained that water-troughs were sunk 

 in the ground containing water and seed to attrach 

 birds, and the decoy birds were pinned to the ground 

 by braces in the usual way and made to flutter. 

 Defendant pleaded that he was out of work and had 

 spent months in training the birds. He was in receipt 

 of about 32s, a week from the Guardians, and was 

 stated to have been a regular bird-catcher on Sundays 

 when in work. — At Per shore, on September 19th, 

 John Stokes was fined £2 for torturing a decoy Linnet. 

 He was on a common, with other men, using nets 

 to catch birds, and the decoy bird's feathers were 

 bloodstained. Lord Deerhurst said it was one of the 

 cruellest things that could be done. 



LEAFLETS by Mr. W. H, HUDSON, 



"A TIRED TRAVELLER" 



(The Redwing), 



Reprinted, by permission of Messrs. J. M. Dent & Sons 

 from "Adventures among Birds." 



With Coloured Illustration from the painting by 

 H. Gronvold. 



Price 3d. 



" THE THRUSH THAT NEVER LIVED " 



With Coloured Illustration from the painting by 

 H. Gronvold. 



Price 3d. 



"A LINNET FOR SIXPENCE ' 



With Coloured Illustration from the painting by 

 J. Smit. 



Price 3d. 



"ON LIBERATING CAGED BIRDS" 



With Coloured Illustration from painting by 

 H. Gronvold. 



Price 3d. 



"OSPREYS: OR, EGRETS AND AIGRETTES" 



(First published 1892) 

 Price 1 d. 



THE BIRD AND TREE SCHEME 



Particulars of the R.S.P.B. Challenge Shield 



Competitions : suggestions for Nature-Study 



work in Elementary Schools, and Opinions of 



Education Authorities and Teachers. 



With Portrait of the late Mr. W. H. HUDSON. 



Price 6d., by post 7d, 



Free to Elementary School Teachers. 



Royal Society for the Protection of Birds 



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