20 



Bird Notes and News 



CHINESE PHEASANT "FARMS." 



The New York Zoological Society has lately 

 investigated the statements and affidavits 

 received from commercial agents of the 

 plume-trade in China affirming the existence 

 of farms for the breeding of Gold and Silver 

 Pheasants for their plumage. The result is 

 given in the Society's Bulletin for July, 1918. 

 It is interesting and suggestive, in view of 

 claims for similar " farms " for plumage- 

 birds elsewhere. Not a single trace of such 

 farms or of the breeding of birds under 

 domestication can be discovered, and the 

 reply of the French Consul at Mongtseu 

 finally disposes of the story. The exporta- 

 tion of both live birds and skins is, he points 

 out, strictly prohibited, and in Indo-China 



even the peddling of the birds is forbidden, 

 except for propagation. 



" The French and Chinese authorities have acted 

 very wisely in forbidding trade in the skins of 

 Pheasants, for the sale of them has encouraged the 

 natives to slaughter great quantities, and they 

 would rapidly have anniliilated these magnificent 

 species of birds. This exportation was carried on 

 chiefly by the people of Canton I know that the 

 Chinese Custom House officer seized, about three 

 years ago, a case containing several thousand skins 

 despatched to a merchant in Canton. 



" Evidently, if the domestication and breeding 

 of Pheasants had been an accomplished fact, the 

 French and Chinese would not have prohibited the 

 exportation of these birds, or their skins." 



This is, therefore, another lie to nail on 

 the counter, together with the " artificial," 

 " moulted," and " farmed " Egret plumes. 



The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. 



COUNCIL MEETING. 



The Council of the Society met on July 1 9th 

 at the Guildhall, Westminster, Mr. Montagu 

 Sharpe (Chairman) presiding. 



The Hon. Secretary's report recorded the 

 issue of three further Home Offi<;e Orders 

 dealing A^ith the taking of sea-birds' eggs, 

 and of Orders for West Bromwich, Donegal, 

 and Limerick. Four lectures had been 

 given by the Rev. J. E. Kelsall and IVIr. 

 S. H. Dyer, and sixteen Bird and Tree 

 Festivals held. The reply of the Research 

 Department of the Privy Council to the 

 Society's memorial was read, stating that 

 the work contemplated would not exclude 

 natural sciences, but that it would not 

 extend to branches of science already 

 provided for by the Board of Agriculture, 

 the Medical Research Committee, or the 

 Natural History Museum. 



The Finance and General Purposes Com- 

 mittee reported a donation of £10 under the 

 will- of the late Mrs. Paterson, of Mid-Calder. 

 The following Hon. Local Secretaries were 

 appointed : Hemel Hempstead, Mrs. J. L. 

 Hammond ; Ennerdale, Mr. Hendry Wat- 

 son ; Liverpool, Mr. W. A. Edwards ; West 

 Surrey, Rev. W. A. Shaw ; Warwick, Mr. 

 T. O" Lloyd. The following Fellows and 

 Members were elected : 



Fellows : Mrs. Burrows ; Miss Marie Corelli ; 

 Mr. T, B. Cartwright ; Captain H. S. Gladstone ; 



Mrs. Grant ; H. J. Green ; Captain C. W. Janson 

 (Coldstreams^ : Alfred J. King ; Thos. O. Lloyd ; 

 Countess della Rochetta ; A. L. Storks ; Mrs. 

 Holt-Thomas ; A. B. Whiteside. 



Life Fellow : Mrs. Charles Hunter. 



Members : Sir Frank Brown ; Ernest A. 

 Butcher ; Miss Christie ; C. Forster ; Mrs. C. For- 

 ster : Dr. Gibson ; Mrs. H. J. Green ; Reginald 

 E. Green ; J. G. Green ; G. F. Green ; Kathleen 

 M. Green ; F. J. Harris ; E. S. Harris ; A. H. 

 Harris ; Miss B. Harris ; A. D. Henderson ; 

 Donald Maclean ; Hugh Maclean ; St. John 

 Marriott : Miss Grace Musgrave ; Miss L. A. 

 Northey ; Rev. F. Sanderson ; Miss F. M. de 

 Sausmarez ; John Wilkinson. 



Letters from Dr. Hornaday and Dr. 

 Gordon Hewitt were read with reference to 

 the Mgratory Birds' Convention ; from Sir 

 Robert Wright (Scottish Board of Agricul- 

 ture), concerning heather-burning in Scot- 

 land ; and from the Chief Constable of 

 East Sussex respecting an advertisement 

 for protected eggs. In this last case, it 

 appeared that the paper containing the 

 advertisement had at once stopped insertion, 

 but that the advertiser had left the address 

 given and his relatives refused to saj^ where 

 he had gone. The protection of birds from 

 the economic standpoint ; the firing from a 

 sea-plane at the nesting birds on Bempton 

 Cliff ; the protection of the Chough, and of 

 the birds at Spurn, were among a number 

 of other questions discussed. The best 

 thanks of the Council were voted to Mr. 

 Thorburn for his offer to paint a picture for 

 the Society's greeting-card for 1918-19. 



