12 



Bird Notes and News 



The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. 



COUNCIL MEETING. 



Mr. Montagu Sharpe, Chairman, presided 

 at the quarterly meeting of the Council, 

 held at the Guildhall, Westminster, on 

 April 12th, 1918. 



The Hon. Secretary's Report expressed 

 the Council's regret at the retirement from 

 the Council of Dr. Drewitt, who has been a 

 member of it since 1899. At the urgent 

 request of the Council Dr. Drewitt con- 

 sented to be co-opted for the present 

 year, and he remains a member of the 

 Watchers Committee. Mr. C. B. Alexander 

 was also co-opted a member of the Council 

 for 1918. Twelve lectures had been given, 

 and Mr. Holme -Sumner was thanked for a 

 slide-photograph of Lady Mount-Temple, 

 foimder of the first Anti-Plum.age League. 

 A number of County Council Orders had 

 been issued, suspending protection of certain 

 Gulls' eggs until June 1st, and of eggs of 

 Guillemot, Puffin, and Razorbill until June 

 21st in order to legaUse the taking of them 

 for food. Eleven Bird and Tree festivals 

 had been held. 



The Finance and General Purposes Com- 

 mittee rejDorted that Dr. Poole had consented 

 to act as Hon. Secretary for Fylde District, 

 and Miss J. D. W. Cameron as joint Hon. 

 Secretary with Mr. Carey for Perth. The 

 following Fellows and Members were elected : 



Fellows : Lieut. T. L. Bradley (3rd Lanes. Fusi^ 

 lieis); Mrs. Clayton; Frederick Dawson ; Right Rev. 

 A. H. Mathevv ; Frank Holme-Sumner ; Edwarti 

 F. Turner. 



Members : C. H. Athill. M.V.O., F.S.A. ; J. P. 

 Bentley Anley : Constantine W. Benson ; Miss 

 Nellie Bradshaw ; Miss C. Bridson ; Mrs. H. T. 

 Butler; Major-General Carnegy, C.B. ; Capt. C. A. 



E. Chudleigh ; Miss A. C'ranGeld ; Miss Hilda 

 Duret ; Mrs. Davies Evans ; A. Goode ; T. Douglas 

 Groves; E. H. Hare; J. Rudge Harding; Mra. 

 Cathcart Hannay ; Joseph W. Horton ; A. M. 

 Jenour ; Miss H. M. Liliie ; Mrs. George Lyster ; 

 J. F. Low ; Mrs. Muter ; Chas. W. Piatt ; C. H. 

 Ransome ; George T. Rope : Hugh C. Malet Shore ; 

 Arthur SpurlLng"; Mrs. A. S. Tatham ; Miss Shirley 

 Thompson ; Rev. B. T. Verry ; Miss H. T. Viahs'; 



F. D. Welch, M.R.O.S., L.R.C.P. ; C. W. K. Wallia ; 

 Mrs. Wood. 



Life Memefr : W. Denby Arton. 



Mrs. Tailby was elected a Life Fellow of 

 the Society, in recognition of the great 

 services rendered by the late Captain T. M. J. 

 Tailby ; and Lieut. George W. A. Tailby, 

 11th Hussars, was elected a Vice-President. 



The Watchers Committee reported the 

 arrangements made for 1918 for safeguarding 

 the breeding-places of rare birds. 



Among other matters considered was the 

 scarcity of small birds and the action to be 

 taken thereon ; letters from Viscount Buxton 

 and Mr. Edwin Harvey with regard to the 

 plume -trade in the Cape and Central Africa ; 

 and the destruction of Penguins for their 

 oil as "a development of Empire resources." 



OBITUARY. 



Sec. - Lieut. Cecil Christopher Baring, 

 of the Royal West Kent Regiment, died 

 in France on March 21st from wounds 

 received the previous day ; and by his 

 death a most promising naturalist is lost to 

 this country. Second surviving son of the 

 late Rev. F. H. Baring and grandson of a 

 former Bishop of Durham, he was one of 

 three gallant brothers who have fallen in 

 the war. Cecil Baring first became connected 

 with the R.S.P.B. when, as a Haileybury boy, 

 he entered in the Public School Competi- 

 tions, wirming the Silver Medal in 1914. 

 He afterwards became a Fellow and took 

 great interest in the work. He had hoped 

 that his last leave in England would extend 

 long enough to allow him to attend the 

 Society's Annual Meeting, and was full of 

 pleasant anticipations of the study of fresh 

 bird-life in his prospective new home in 

 Hampshire. He died a fortnight after his 

 retm'n to the front. His ornithological work 

 was always notable for its directness and 

 accuracy, and the same frank sincerity 

 in manner and speech gave charm to a 

 fine character. 



The Rev. J. G. Tuck wiites of him : 



" Cecil Baring introduced himself to me by 

 letter some three years ago, and cycled over from 

 Sudbury in his Ea.ster holidays. Several things 



