Bird Notes and News 



35 



trackway between high walls of earth and 



stones. 



* # * ■it- 

 Lovers of birds have special cause for 



deploring the loss, in the disaster to the 

 Empress of Ireland, of Sir Henry Seton- 

 Karr. Sportsman and big-game hunter 

 though he was, Sir Henry was keenly 

 interested in the protection of birds from 

 the plume-hunter, the collector, rmd the 

 bird-catcher ; and at the annual meeting of 

 the R.S.P.B. (of which he was a member) 

 in 1913, he spoke with special feeling 

 against the killing of Larks to please the 

 gourmand, and the caging of wild birds, 

 whether the Eagle at the Zoo or the Linnet 

 and Chaffinch in its 5-inch cage in the 

 bird-shop, " in violation of every law of 

 their being." He was also a donor to the 

 fund for the protection of migrating birds 

 at lighthouses. 



* * * * 



" A German Friend of Birds " writes to 

 the R.S.P.B.: — 



"Having read in the Manchester 

 Guardian the account of the annual meeting 

 of your Society, may I, as a German, ven- 

 ture to make a suggestion in regard to 

 the killing of Larks in this country? 



" While I am by no means certain if a 

 law to that effect exists in Germany, I can 

 say that — at least to my knowledge — hardly 

 anybody would think of killing that lovely 



little bird, which it is a delight to see rising 

 towards the sky and warbling its little tune. 

 Corning to England, I was surprised to 

 learn that such a beautiful and innocent 

 singing bird should be allowed to be killed, 

 and the fact that Lark-pie, etc., is con- 

 sidered as a special delicacy corroborates my 

 assumption that there exist no legal 

 measures in England prohibiting the 

 destruction of Larks. 



" If I should be correct, may I herewith 

 appeal to you to take steps to save that 

 little bird from further destruction? " 



The Lark is, of course, protected by the 

 Bird Protection Acts, being a scheduled 

 bird. But it is little wonder that 

 foreigners come to a contrary conclusion. 

 It is not possible, they might argue, that a 

 common-sense nation would "protect " a 

 bird and yet allow it to be netted by 

 thousands for cage and table, and to appear 

 on the menu of the "smart " world even 

 in the nesting-time. 



* # * * 



Through the efforts of a member of this 

 Society, the Committee of the Albemarle 

 Club decided some little time since to dis- 

 continue providing Larks as an article of 

 food at the Club. This is another instance 

 to be added to many previous ones, of the 

 good work that may be done by individuals 

 who have the cause of the birds sufficiently 

 at heart to take personal trouble. It is not, 

 however, every such effort that is successful. 



Public School Essay Competition. 



All Essays for the Public School Essay 

 Competition should be sent in to the 

 R.S.P.B., or to the school representative 

 by September 30th, 1914, and in any case 

 should reach the Society by October 7th. 

 The subjects are "The British Owls," and 

 " Our Summer Migrants." Full particulars 

 and entry forms can be had from the 

 Secretary, R.S.P.B., 23, Queen Anne's 

 Gate, S.W. 



HOW BIRDS USE THEIR FEET. 



By C. H. Andrewes. 



[" The Legs and Feet of Birds, and their 

 Adaptation to various Habits and Pur- 

 poses," formed the subject of the Public 

 School Essay Competition (Senior Division) 

 for 1913. The Silver Medal was gained by 

 Christopher H. Andrewes (Highgate School), 

 whose work received high praise from the 



