listing even of the sparrow. Examination of 

 the evidence heard by the Committee reveals 

 the remarkable fact that no fewer than 42 

 species were named as birds which need not, 

 or should not, be protected. 



Popular ignorance stands in the way of 

 simple legislation ; just as popular ignorance 

 makes complicated legislation useless. The 

 plan of fundamental attractiveness and 

 simplicity is therefore rejected as a counsel of 

 perfection, and the Committee decided on 

 modification on the old lines. 



The Committee's Proposals. 



It may be said at once that the Report is 

 consequently not an exciting or revolutionary 

 document. The Committee show extreme care 

 in the examination of detail, and anxiety to 

 be fair to every portion of the community ; 

 but they have no bold reformation to suggest, 

 no drastic remedy for admitted evils. They 

 set to work to mend, not to supersede. 



The recommendations propose, in the first 

 place, the setting up of two Schedules in the 

 place of one. The general close-time is to be 

 from March 1st to September 1st ; owners and 

 occupiers are still to have power to kill or take 

 birds on their land in close-time except those 

 named in these Schedules. Birds on List A 

 are to be absolutely protected during close- 

 time only, those on List B during the whole 

 year. 



Schedule A : — 



Arctic or Richardson's Skua, Black-throated Diver, 

 Black-tailed Godwit, Capercaillie, Dotterel, Duck (all 

 species), Eared Grebe, Fork-tailed Petrel, Goldfinch, 

 Great-crested Grebe, Great Skua, Greenshank, Grey 

 Lag-goose, Hobbj% Kestrel, Kingfisher, Marsh Warbler, 

 Merlin, Niglitjar, Nightingale, Peregrine Falcon, Pied 

 Flycatcher, Quail, Raven, Red-necked Phalarope, Red- 

 throated Diver, Ringed Plover, Ruff and Reeve, 

 Siskin, Sclavonian Grebe, Snipe, Stone-curlew, Swan, 

 Terns (all species). Water-rail, Whimbrel, Woodlark, 

 Woodpeckers (all species), and Wryneck. 



Schedule B : — 



Avocet, Baillon's Crake, Bearded Reedling or 

 Bearded Titmouse, Bittern, Bustard, Buzzard, Chough, 

 Crested Titmouse, Dartford Warbler, Golden Eagle, 

 Golden Oriole, Harriers (all species). Honey Buzzard, 

 Hoopoe, Kentish Plover, Kite, Long-eared Owl, 

 Osprey, Pallas Sand Grouse, Sea Eagle, Short-eared 

 Owl, Spoonbill, St. Kilda Wren, Tawny Owl, and the 

 White or Barn Owl. 



Power is to be given to vary close-time, to 

 add to or take from Schedules, and to exempt 

 " certain destructive birds " from all protection. 

 The protection of areas is continued, with an 

 amendment to protect all birds '' with specified 

 exceptions " in the whole or part of an area. 



Nests and Eggs. 



Eggs and nests of scheduled birds are also to 

 be protected, and it is recommended that 

 uniform protection of bird, nest, and eggs 

 should be maintained by the central authority. 

 This is a new and most welcome feature in 

 English legislation, which frequently protects 

 the bird without the eggs and the eggs without 

 the bird. Landowners alone are to have the 

 right to take Lapwings' eggs, and only tmtil 

 the 15th of April. 



The Schedules. 



Unfortimately this proposed amendment of 

 the law continues to call for ornithological 

 knowledge which is not in the possession of 

 police or public, who would still be required 

 to discriminate between closely-related species 

 and to recognise birds they have never heard 

 of. The scheduled lists e\'idently and 

 admittedly need extension. Schedule B in- 

 cludes hardly any birds but those of interest 

 to the ornithologist on account of their rarity, 

 and leaves the great mass of useful species 

 unprotected for six months in the year. 



Ornithological Advisory Committee. 



At present County Bird Protection Orders 

 are issued by the Secretary of State (in Ireland, 

 Lord Lieutenant) on the application of the 

 Coimty (or Borough) Council. The Report 

 recommends that " for the purpose of ad\asing 

 the central authorities an Ornithological 

 Advisory Committee be at once set up in 

 London," to collect and classify information, 

 to aSord information and advice, to investigate 

 the food of birds, and to direct educational 

 work. It is suggested tentatively that this 

 Committee consist of members appointed by 

 the Home Ofiice, the Scottish Office, the Irish 

 Government, the Departments of Agriculture 

 and Fisheries for the three Kingdoms, and the 

 Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 

 with power to co-opt other members. This 

 body the Report regards as an indispensable 

 preliminary to the scientific administration of 

 the law. 



It is recommended that the new Bill be 

 drafted by the advice of this Comniittee. 



The local authority would remain the County 

 or Borough Council. After recommending the 

 arranging of counties in ornithological groups, 

 the oi)inion is expressed that in cases where, 

 through the inertia of the local authority, no 

 order or a totally inadequate order is applied 

 for, there should be a power in the central 



