Bird Notes and News 



123 



undertake (a) the appointment of delegates 

 to the International Committee (if 

 formed) ; and (b) the co-ordination of 

 the work of existing Societies in the 

 United Kingdom. 



THE EATING OF SKYLARKS 



For many years past a protest has been 

 raised by the Royal Society for the 

 Protection of Birds against the destruction 

 of Skylarks in order that their tiny 

 bodies may be used as a gastronomic 

 dainty at city dinners and ballroom 

 suppers, or served in puddings and pies 

 at restaurants. It is believed that public 

 opinion in general fully supports this 

 protest. The following letter, dated 

 December 7th, 1923, has been sent to 

 the Incorporated Association of Retail 

 Distributors, signed by the Society's 

 Chairman and Hon. Secretary : — 



The Council of the Royal Society for the 

 Protection of Birds desire to bring to your 

 notice the growing dislike among the public 

 to Skylarks and other Songbirds being used 

 for food and to the appeals which have been 

 made to many large firms to discontinue 

 the sale of these birds in their Poultry Depart- 

 ments. 



By some dealers difficulty with regard to 

 acceding to this suggestion is felt, unless all 

 firms of a similar nature are generally agreed 

 on the subject, and we have therefore been 

 advised to ask you if the matter could be 

 favourably considered by your Directors, with 

 a view to firms affiliated to the Incorporated 

 Association of Retail Distributors, being 

 recommended to abandon the practice of 

 putting these birds on the market. 



To bird lovers, the eating of Larks is such 

 an ofience against good taste and the best kind 

 of sentiment, that they feel compelled to 

 refrain from making purchases at shops or 

 stores where these birds are exposed for sale. 



Among others, Mr. Selfridge and Sir Wood- 

 man Burbidge have expressed their sympathy 

 with the desire to suppress this traffic. 



Messrs. Selfridge & Co. write 

 (November 24th) : — 



" We will not allow the department 

 to expose Larks for sale, and only supply 

 orders which we have specially contracted 

 to supply." 



The Haymarket Stores have replied 



(November Uth) to a protest from Mrs. 

 H. F. Spender : — 



" I beg to acknowledge and thank you for 

 your letter which I have submitted to the 

 Managing Director, and I am pleased to be 

 able to inform you that instructions have 

 been given for the discontinuance of the sale 

 of Larks in the Poultry Department," 



Spontaneous action in the matter has, 

 the Society is informed, been taken 

 by Mr. French, Fishmonger, of Brighton, 

 who has refused to deal in the bird since 

 reading the account of it given in " The 

 A. B.C. of Common Birds," and has 

 declined to buy them from the Brighton 

 catchers. In the hope that other 

 poulterers will follow Mr. French's 

 example, the R.S.P.B. has prepared 

 appropriate cards, bearing Mr. Thorburn's 

 picture of the soaring Lark, and suitable 

 words, so that members of the Society 

 and others may give them to the pro- 

 prietors or managers of the stores at 

 which they deal, as well as to their 

 friends. They are obtainable from the 

 Society's office at 9d. a dozen. 



A letter has also been addressed to a 

 number of representative people with a 

 view to eliciting opinions against Lark- 

 eating. Among the answers first received 

 are the following : — 



From the Duchess of Portland : — 



" I strongly deprecate the slaughter of 

 Skylarks and other singing birds, and I think 

 that the sellers of such birds deserve the 

 reproach they receive in the following lines 

 of Ralph Hodgson : — 



" I saw with open eyes 



Singing-birds sweet 



Sold in the shops 



For the people to eat. 



Sold in the shops of 



Stupidity street." 



From Earl Buxton : — 



" I am very glad to hear that some of the 

 Stores and Poulterers are refusing to supply 

 Larks and other birds to their customers. I 

 hope their spirited example will be greatly 

 followed. I am dead against these birds 

 being killed in order to be eaten." 



From Sir Montagu Sharpe, K.C. : — 

 " I fail to comprehend how any man who 

 has stopped and listened to the thrilling notes 



