114 



Bird Notes and News 



Darwin half unconsciously deepened her 

 sense of relationship and responsibility 

 for the welfare of all creatures. She 

 constantly watched and loved the Wag- 

 tails and Goldfinches, the Flycatchers 

 and Goldcrests, and many other species, 

 which built every year about her house ; 

 but so far as mercy and kindness went a 

 House-sparrow was as dear to her and as 

 important as a Nightingale or a Hoopoe. 

 Like St. Francis she regarded all as her 

 little sisters. In the work of the Royal 

 Society for the Protection of Birds she 

 upheld the efforts of the Watchers* 

 Committee mainly on account of the 

 Lighthouse perches for the preservation 

 of migrants, in which she greatly delighted, 

 and because of its vigorous steps to put 

 down the hideous pole-trap and its 

 efforts to defend the wild bird against all 

 forms of catching and trapping and 

 caging cruelties. Above all, the Bird 

 and Tree Scheme, as ah'eady mentioned, 

 had her warmest approval ; the oppor- 

 tunities it affords for acquainting children 

 with the charm and the usefulness of 

 birds, and for enlisting their young and 

 generous sympathies, led her to regard 

 it as the finest of movements in connection 

 with elementary schools. 



The Highwood estate was a sanctuary 

 for all wild creatures. No hounds crossed 

 it in pursuit of the hunted fox, no game 

 was shot ; and on this point Mrs. Suckhng 



was happy in the hearty support of 

 Captain Suckling, R.N., her cousin, whom 

 she married in 1876. They were indeed 

 in mutual support an ideal couple, and 

 led what may be termed an ideal life, 

 as owners of property, lovers of man and 

 bird and beast, and constant champions 

 of the weak and oppressed. 



Mrs. Suckling was best known, and 

 would wish to be remembered, as a 

 passionate and thoroughly consistent 

 humanitarian, but she had other pursuits, 

 taking a keen part in archaeological 

 research and particularly in genealogical 

 investigation. For many years she was a 

 member of the Hampshire Field Club 

 and the Southampton Rambling Club 

 and wrote various papers on historical 

 subjects and on the history of the district 

 in which she lived. Her connection with 

 the family of Lord Nelson is well known, 

 and one room in Highwood was devoted 

 to relics of the great naval hero. 



For a long time Mrs. Suckling had 

 suffered from bronchitis in the winter 

 season, and physical infirmities and deaf- 

 ness interfered with outside work, while 

 the loss of Captain Suckling in 1922 

 left her peculiarly lonelj^ but to the 

 end she persevered with efforts in the 

 cause to which she had given her life, 

 and was seriously ill for hardly more 

 than a week. The immediate cause of 

 death was heart failure. 



The Caging of Wild Birds 



The following letter has been sent from the 

 K.S.P.B. to the officials connected with the 

 Dover Fur and Feather Show recently held 

 at Dover : — 



" Members of the Royal Society for the 

 Protection of Birds have called the attention 

 of the Comicil of the Society to the statement 

 made in the Dover Express mid East Kent Neivs 

 of October 26th last, that British Wild Birds 

 such as the Goldfinch, Linnet, Siskin, Redpole, 

 Blackbird, Starling, Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare, 

 Ring Ousel, Whitethroat, Stonechat, Nuthatch, 

 Wagtail, Robin, Shrike, Corn-Bunting, Chaffinch 

 and Greenfinch were on exhibition as Cage 



Birds at the Market Hall, Dover, on October 

 24th and 25th, 1923. 



" This has caused great surprise and wide- 

 spread indignation among naturalists and bird- 

 lovers. That an important body like the 

 Dover and District Poultry, Pigeon, Rabbit and 

 Cage-Bird Society should apparently counten- 

 ance and approve the caging of Robins, Wagtails, 

 Stonechats, Corn-Buntings, Redwings, Linnets, 

 etc., is most deplorable. To catch and cage 

 such birds is by most ornithologists considered 

 a monstrous cruelty, as well as showing a 

 contempt for the Wild Bird Protection Orders, 

 whereby in many parts of the country these 

 birds are protected throughout the year." 



