air into the wliole elementary school systemy 

 — {Bird Notes and Neivs.) 



It is recommended that the Advisory Com- 

 mittee extend and direct education work by 

 means of popidar leaflets, magazine and news- 

 paper articles, lectures, etc., similar to the work 

 of the Royal Societ}^ for the Protection of Birds, 

 "which has undoubtedly been productive of 

 very useful results." 



" Every eneou.ra.gemeiit should be given by the 

 Board of Education to efforts in this direction. . . ." 



" We should be glad to see a ' Bird Day,' devoted 

 to lectures, become a regular feature of the programme 

 of every school in this countrJ^ 



Lighthouses. 



" It is well known that the brilliant lights of the 

 lighthouses round the coasts which birds pass in their 

 migration have a great attraction for birds, which fly 

 rapidly down the beams and dash themselves to death 

 against the windows. . . . We understand that at 

 a number of British lighthouses perches have been 

 provided by Trinity House and have proved very 

 effective." 



Here the Committee make a mistake in fact. 

 The whole inquiry and correspondence with 

 M. Thijsse, the Dutch inventor of such perches, 

 was originated and carried on by the Royal 

 Society for the Protection of Birds, and the 

 perches were provided solely on the Society's 

 initiative and at its expense, by permission of 

 Trinity House. 



" We recommend that immediate steps be taken to 

 provide suitable perches on all lighthouses on and 

 around the coast of the United Kingdom." 



Introduction of Aliens. 



The liberation of foreign birds should only 

 be undertaken on the approval of the Advisory 

 Committee. The reasons advanced are the 

 danger of upsetting the balance of bird life and 

 of confusing the ornithological record, and 

 possibly injury to the reputation of British 

 birds, the Little Owl being given as an instance. 



Licences. 



The Committee consider a provision for 

 granting licences indispensable, in order to 

 allow suitable persons over 18 years of age 

 to take birds or eggs for scientific investigation, 

 State-aided or recognised museums, falconry, 

 etc., such licence to be given only by the central 

 authority and on the advice of the Ornithological 

 Advisory Committee. 



Enforcement op the Law. 



" It should be laid down clearly in the new 

 law that it is the duty of the police to enforce 



the law for the protection of birds." It is 

 recommended that they be given powers of 

 search, of detention, and of seizure, and in the 

 case of offences of cruelty (as in the pole-trap) 

 of entry upon private land without permission. 



Notice of Orders should be given for the 

 three weeks preceding close-time and should be 

 required to state briefly, in addition to the 

 terms of the Order, the main provisions of the 

 Acts. Posters should be circulated as widely 

 as possible, including exhibition at police and 

 coastguard stations, railway stations, parish 

 councils, elementary and secondary schools. 

 Notice by advertisement in newspapers would 

 not, in the Committee's opinion, be necessary. 



Penalties. 



It is not proposed to increase the penalty for 

 a first offence, which is at present a reprimand 

 and payment of costs ; but for subsequent 

 offences it would be raised from 5s. to £1 for 

 non-scheduled species ; to £5 for birds or 

 eggs in Schedule A, and £10 for birds or eggs in 

 Schedule B ; for any other offence under the 

 Act, 40s. ; further convictions, £5; with costs 

 in every case. 



It is recommended that a person giving 

 information which results in a conviction 

 should be entitled to a reward. 



International Protection. 



Finally, it is recommended that the Inter- 

 national Convention of 1902 be adopted, and 

 the necessary amendments in the law incor- 

 porated in the new Act ; and that (reversing 

 past policy) the country should be represented 

 officially and take its part in international con- 

 ferences on the subject of the protection of 

 birds. 



It will be seen that the drafting of the Report 

 has involved a great amount of time and 

 labour, for which the Committee and their 

 Secretary deserve all thanks from bird lovers 

 and the public in genei'al. The suggestions 

 mark a considerable advance upon present 

 legislation ; but the subject is a complex one, 

 and much discussion will probably be evoked 

 before the new law comes into being. The 

 Society will be glad to receive the considered 

 opinions and criticisms of its Fellows and 

 Members. 



Printed by Vacher & Sons, Ltd., Westminster House, S.W.I. (73063), and published by the Royal 

 Society for the Protection of Birds, 23, Queen Anne's Gate, S.W.I. 



