30 



Bird Notes and News 



Notes. 



A Liverpool member of the Society writes that 

 in an outer suVjurb of that city he twice saw an 

 adult Swift on November 16th. No doubt it was 

 detained by a late brood, but the date is an excep- 

 tionally late one. 



* * * 



Another interesting record comes from New haven, 

 whence a correspondent writes (September 30th) 

 that he " quite lately had the pleasure of seeing a 

 Crested Tit (P. cristatus), the first I ever came 

 across." The bird was also, he says, seen at 

 Lewes. As the British-breeding Crested Tit seldom 

 wanders from the Spey Valley and has never been 

 recorded so far soiith as Sussex, those seen were 

 probably migrants from the Continent. 



Captain H. S. Gladstone has issued, through 

 Bickers & Son, a handy little " Ornithologists' 

 Field Note Book," containing a list of British 

 Birds, such as an observer can slip in his pocket 

 when going for a ramble, and with space to note 

 those seen or heard. 



" A Descriptive List of the Birds of Tasmania 

 and adjacent Islands " has been compiled by 

 Mr. Clive E. Lord, of the Tasmanian Field Natiu-al- 

 ists' Club, and published in brief and convenient 

 form. It comprises descriptions of 224 Tasmanian 

 species, in addition to the two extinct species of 

 Emu and also six introduced birds — Indian Turtle- 

 dove, and British Skylark, Goldfinch, Tree-Sparrow, 

 House-Sparrow, and Starling. 



* * :*: 



" With a view to the preservation of insectivorous 

 birds, so eminently useful to agricultvu-e for the 

 suppression of ravages by pests, a law (No. 9 of 

 1912) was promulgated, prohibiting the destruc- 

 tion of those enumerated in a list given in the law. 

 Circulars in many languages were distributed re- 

 iterating the list of the protected birds, and pointing 

 out that it was forbidden to shoot, capture, trans- 

 port, hawk, keep in confinement, expose for sale, 

 sell, or purchase any of the birds mentioned .... 

 In addition, coloured illustration.s of most of the 

 protected birds are being exhibited in public 

 places." 



* * * 



Thus the Ministry of Agriculture of Egypt, by 

 way of preface to a handbook on " The Principal 

 Species of Birds Protected by Law in Egypt," 

 published in Cairo in furtherance of the object. 

 Twenty-six species are finely portrayed in colour 

 (reproduced by the Survey of Egypt), with their 

 English, French, Arabic, and scientific names, 

 and with notes for purposes of identification sup- 

 plied by Captain Flower and Mr. M. J. Nicoll, 

 Director and Assistant Director of the Egyptian 

 Zoological Service. It need only be said that the 

 design and the execution of the publication are 

 worthy of one another. 



Mrs. Luther Holden kindly sends the R.S.P.B- 

 the following extract from the letter of a young 

 Englishman who has recently returned to Canada 

 after a visit to this country : — 



" It is a coincidence that the question of Bird 

 Protection should have been discussed when I was 

 in Ipswich, and then when I got back to Canada I 

 should be placed in charge of the administration of 

 the Migratory Birds Protection Treaty with the 

 United States. If Mrs. Holden had access to some 

 of the facts which I have now, she could make out 

 a pretty strong case for Bird Protection in England, 

 where the poor little creatures do not seem to be 

 accorded the same consideration they do here and 

 in the United States. 



" It was felt of such consequence that the United 

 States Congress and Parliament took time in the 

 middle of this stupendous war to pass legislation 

 to protect the insectivorous birds. 



Do you know that the insects in the U.S.A. 

 do damage each year to the extent of £311,000,000, 

 and the principal agency to prevent this is the bird . 

 It is considered a war measure to save the crops 

 and the trees from insect depredations bj' protecting 

 the birds." 



* * * 



From Leicester Road Council School, Bedworth, 

 which this year takes the Wanvickshire Bird and 

 Tree Challenge Shield, comes the following pleasant 

 message, contained in one of the prize essays : 



" Around this school are many trees which were 

 planted by Cadets who have done well in Bird and 

 Tree Competitions. The first to be planted was 

 a sycamore, by Ernest Parsons. Ernest is now a 

 soldier, and has four stripes. When he was in 

 Mesopotamia he wrote to us and asked us about 

 his tree, and wanted to know about the Shield." 



It may be hoped that Sergt. -Major Parsons will 

 soon see his tree again and join in congratulations 

 to the Cadets of to-day. 



* * * 



Will the Women's Vote affect the Protection of 

 Birdlife ? Not, it may be said, immediately and 

 at Elections. The rights of any other creature than 

 man (and woman) are not likely to constitute a 

 platform plank at present. Women, however, have 

 now equal electoral influence, equal influence with 

 their parliamentary representatives. Will they 

 use it — 



1. To drive the notorious plumage trade out 

 of the country, as essentially a woman's question 

 and a woman's disgrace. 



2. To push forward and support legislation 

 for the better protection of birds from cruelty 

 of every description. 



3. To insist upon the introduction into all 

 schools of humane education, and of practical 

 instruction concerning birds and their place in 

 nature ? 



