Bird Notes and News 99 



passing homers and by bob-wires, re- by the game-preserver has abready shown 



plenish their stocks. Next are the men a terrible chain of disaster — increase of 



who, when pigeon races are on, wait in farmers' pests, such as mice, rats, and 



suitable spots for the sport of bringing voles, and the conversion of formerly 



them down and enjoy pigeon-pie. I innocent species of birds into enemies by 



have known men who boast that they their overabundance, 



get many. And, lastly, there are the Apart from economic questions is the 



elements— fog, storm, and even light aesthetic and humanitarian argument, 



contrary winds — which slay or fatigue We who care for birds for their own 



the racers and thin their numbers. If sakes, and because they are not our 



there were not these hazards racing property but that of every one and of 



would lose much of its zest. all generations which will come after us. 



What would happen if all our Peregrines cannot agree that any species shall be 



were destroyed neither the pigeon fancier wiped out to please the few whose 



nor the protector can answer, but it is sporting pleasures or private pockets are 



absolutely certain that something or menaced. 



somebody would suffer. The destruction T. A. Coward. 



of natural checks, the raptorial birds, Sept. lOth, 1923. 



The Wild Birds Protection Bill 



The long-promised measure for the consolidation and amendment of the Bird 

 Protection Laws was introduced in the House of Lords on June 28th, 1923, by Viscount 

 Grey of Fallodon, and passed, with a few alterations, on July 30th. It is expected 

 that the Bill wiU be introduced in the House of Commons by the Home Secretary, 

 as a Government Bill, in the coming autumn session. 



A Committee to inquire into the working of the existing Acts was appointed 

 by the Home Office in 1913. Owing to the War the issue of the Committee's Report 

 and the Minutes of Evidence was delayed until 1919. A summary of the main 

 recommendations was published as a Supplement to the Autumn Number of Bird 

 Notes and News. Since then the Report has been considered, and more than one 

 provisional Bill drafted in accordance with its recommendations, by the Home Office 

 Advisory Committee, which was constituted in 1920, under the Chairmanship of 

 the Duke of Rutland (who resigned through ill-health) and subsequently of Lord 

 Grey of Fallodon. Lord Grey's BiU, now before Parliament, is the ultimate outcome 

 of that Committee's careful deliberations. 



Comments and criticisms made both in Parliament and, more conspicuously, 

 in the Press, have vividly indicated the amount of ignorance which prevails in regard 

 to the existing law ; and it may be useful to state briefly what the Acts in force provide 

 in the way of protection for our Wild Birds, and in what way the new Bill differs 

 from them. Some minor critics have no doubt reasons of their o-^n for distorting 

 the intentions of proposed legislation, including those who have been shouting loudly 

 in various journals that the poor man is being deprived of his " hobby " and his 

 " pets " and that the " ordinary citizen " is not to be allowed to keep so much as a 

 canary in a cage. One such critic, in his efforts to stir up opposition to the measure, 

 makes the remarkable statement that " a Bill backed by the Duchess of Portland 

 and others may be introduced in Parliament shortly to stop the keeping of wild birds 

 in captivity " and that " a similar Bill " introduced by Lord Grey has passed its 

 second reading. To have done at once with this form of mis-statement it may be 



