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Bird Notes and News 



The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. 



COUNCIL MEETINGS. 



Meetings of the Council of the Society were 

 held at the Middlesex Guildhall, S.W., on 

 October 22nd and December 3rd, 1915, the 

 Chairman, Mr. Montagu Sharpe, presiding. 



Hon. Secretary's Report. 



The Hon. Secretary reported the opening 

 of the Lecture season with lectures by the 

 Rev. J. E. Kelsall and Miss M. Hamilton ; 

 also that thirteen new slides had been added 

 to the Society's collection as the gift of Mr. 

 McLellan, seven of them being taken by 

 permission from photographs by Mr. Percy L. 

 Clark ; and the thanks of the Council were 

 voted to both donors. Bird Protection 

 Orders had been issued for Dorset, Gloucester- 

 shire, Wakefield (County Borough), King's 

 County, and Westmeath. The awards in the 

 Public School Competition and the Bird-and- 

 Tree Challenge Shield Competitions were 

 reported and confirmed. Festivals had been 

 held at Keswick (Shield presentation) ; 

 Foundry Lane Boys' School, Southampton ; 

 and Hinton Waldrist. The Christmas Greet- 

 ing Card had been issued and copies sent to 

 Fellows and Members. 



Finance and General Purposes 

 Committee. 



The accounts for the third quarter of 1915, 

 and for October and November were pre- 

 sented and approved. It was reported that 

 a legacy of £500 had been bequeathed to 

 the Society by the late Rev. A. L. Hussey; 

 and one of £50 by the late Mrs. Welbury 

 Mitton ; also one of £300 by the late Mrs. 

 Edith Scott, the payment of which was, 



however, uncertain. The following Fellows 



and Members were elected : 



Fellows : Graham Renshaw, M.D. (Sale), 

 John Galsworthy, Mrs. John Galsworthy 

 (Wingstone, Devon). 



Members : Adam Cairns (Glasgow) ; Mrs. 

 Drabble (Walton-on-Thames) ; Mrs. Fisher 

 (Hurlingham) ; Mrs. Cyril A. Jones (Kingston 

 Manor, Taunton) ; Mrs. Lethbridge (Mine- 

 head) ; Mrs. Astley Rushton (Cosham) ; 

 Major C. O. L. Taylor (London, W.) ; E. H. 

 Waller (Taunton) ; Mrs. Wells (Dereham, 

 Norfolk). 



Life Member: Mrs. T. W. Rundell 

 (Lostwithiel). 



General Business. 



Letters were read from Trinity House and 

 officers in charge of lighthouses reporting the 

 satisfactory use of the bird-rests during the 

 autumn migrations, together with a statement 

 as to damage done by a heavy gale to those 

 at the South Bishop Lighthouse. Corres- 

 pondence was reported with regard to the 

 existence of a suspected pole-trap, or a trap 

 to all intents and purposes a pole-trap, in 

 Westmoreland, and the trapping by its means 

 of a Peregrine Falcon. The police stated 

 that the keeper was known to use traps 

 somewhat indiscriminately on the Fells and 

 had admitted catching Kestrels (a bird pro- 

 tected throughout the year in that county), 

 and that he had been cautioned. Reports 

 respecting the Plumage Trade were received 

 and considered ; and various other matters 

 were discussed. 



OBITUARY. 



Mr. Henry Eeles Dresser, F.L.S., F.G.S., 

 M.B.O.U., whose name as one of the most 

 distinguished ornithologists of his day will 



