Bird Notes and News 



The following Fellows and Members were 

 elected : — 



Fellows : Miss Julia Attwell (Bradford- 

 en- Avon) ; Hon. Stephen Coleridge (London, 

 S.W.); Mrs. Button (Haslemere). 



Members : Herbert F. Acocks (Ashtead) ; 

 Mrs. N. H. Arnison (Penrith); IVIiss Mary 

 Benson (London, S.W.) ; Cyril Chitty 

 (Ightham); Mrs. Cunningham Craig (Beacons- 

 field) ; Mrs. F. H. Delpratt (BexhiU) ; Cecil 

 DoUey (London, S.W.) ; Frank De Grey 

 (Lytham); Mrs. Hanbury (Penn) ; J. Hickson 

 (Richmond); Douglas K. Hole (London, W.); 

 Lady Lowry (Wickham) ; W. McCuUum 

 (Worcester) ; Miss Marriott (Nottingham) ; 

 Miss M. G. Olsson (Redhill) ; Miss Frances 

 Pitt (Bridgnorth) ; ]VIrs. Ley borne Popham 

 (Greystoke) ; Mrs. Rodway (Trowbridge): 

 Rev. A. L. Royds (Brereton, Cheshire) ; 

 C. A. Russell, K.C. (Hartley Wintney) ; 

 Frank W. Sutton, H.A.C. ; Mss W. R. 

 Titley (Sutton Coldfield) ; Miss K. M. Vialls 

 (London, S.W.) ; Hugh Woodman (Wey- 

 mouth). 



Letters were read from Dr. Hornaday, 

 New York, and Dr. Gordon Hewitt, Ottawa, 

 in reply to the intimation that the Society's 

 Gold Medal had been conferred upon them 

 in gratitude for their services to the cause 

 of Bird-Protection. Considerable discussion 

 took place with regard to the scarcity of 

 insectivorous birds and the necessity for 



checking their further destruction ; to the 

 taking of eggs ; and to the shooting of rare 

 birds. It was agreed to offer special prizes 

 in an Essay Competition for Boy Scouts. 



Next meeting of the Council, April 12th, 



BOY SCOUTS AND BIRD-STUDY. 



The Boys Scouts' Association having 

 accepted the Council's offer of prizes for 

 bird-study, twelve prizes of one guinea each 

 are offered to Scouts for the best papers on 

 a selected species of wild bird. The papers 

 will be grouped in three classes according to 

 the ages of the competitors, and July 31st, 

 1918, is the day for sending in. Particulars 

 appear in the Headquarters Gazette and The 

 Scout. 



BIRDS' EGGS FOR FOOD. 



In order to allow of the collection of cer- 

 tain sea-birds' eggs for food, the protection 

 of eggs of the Herring-GuU and Black-headed 

 Gull, and of Puffin, Guillemot, and Razorbill 

 has been suspended in certain counties until 

 given dates. This does not authorise the 

 taking of any eggs except those specified ; 

 and it is generally arranged that the col- 

 lection shall be done by properly accredited 

 persons. 



Economic Ornithology. 



The well-known ornithologist and traveller 

 Capt. Wilham Beebe (Curator of Birds, New 

 York Zoological Park), who has been on a 

 visit to England from the Western Front, 

 MTites to the Press : 



" Every slaughter of small birds at this 

 critical time is directly in favour of the 

 Boche by jeopardising British crops. . . . 

 We in America are denying ourselves and 

 straining every effort to send over an abun- 

 dance of food. If it becomes known that 

 an actual effort is being made in the British 

 Isles to decrease the number of insect and 

 weed-seed eating birds, it will indeed be 

 disheartening to us," 



In a letter to the Society from Ottawa, 

 Dr. Gordon Hewitt writes : 



" Never was Bird- Protection of greater 

 national importance from an economic stand- 

 point. We cannot increase crop production 

 without increasing crop protection, and the 

 greatest crop protectors are the insectivorous 

 birds, and such predatory birds as Hawks 

 and Owls, whose destruction of mice and 

 other rodents means the saving of food 

 supplies." 



Mr. Oliver Pike, Lieut. R.F.C; in regretting 



