BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



15 



Chief Commissioner of Police at New Scot- 

 land Yard, and travelled to Manchester 

 to see the head of the Constabulary 

 in that town. There have certainly not 

 been a score of convictions for illegal 

 possession ; and it may be safely concluded 

 that birds caught one day in Cambridgeshire 

 would (had the dealer been challenged) 

 have been declared to have spent six weeks 

 in captivity by the time they reached 

 Newcastle or Liverpool next day. There 

 can, however, be no doubt that the action 

 taken by the police, the cautions given, and 

 the knowledge that the trade was being 

 closely watched, put a sudden check on 

 the whole business. 



The investigation shows that in certain 

 places, once centres of bird-catching, a pro- 

 minent display of placards, the activity 

 of cycling police and plain-clothes men, and 

 the seizure of nets and decoys by the magis- 

 trates, have cleared the country of these 



loafing vagabonds. On the other hand, 

 it has to be remembered that to obtain such 

 results as followed his work, the Society's 

 inspector devoted his whole time and energy 

 to it, and took infinite trouble to obtain 

 every possible proof and detail, and to obviate 

 the possibility of false addresses. If such 

 an expenditure of time and trouble is to be 

 needed in every case, then the law or its 

 enforcement is seriously in fault, and a shorter 

 way must be found. It must be remembered 

 also that these cases occurred in close time : 

 that close time lasts for but a part of the 

 year, and that for ten birds caught in the 

 spring many hundreds are swept from the 

 green fields into the bird-catcher's boxes 

 and the dealer's shop in autumn. 



It can fairly be claimed that what has 

 been done during the spring of 1908 has had 

 a good effect, but it has emphasized the fact 

 that much still remains to be accomplished 

 in order to deal adequately with the evil. 



^csr usr Bird Protection Orders, ^sr usr 



The following Bird Protection Orders have 

 been issued since March 25th, 1908 : — 



Berkshire. April 28th. A (b) B F S. 

 Practically the same as the Order of 1901. 

 All birds protected on Abingdon Common ; 

 Sunday protection in certain districts : half- 

 a-dozen species added to the Schedule, and 

 certain others protected all the year, including 

 Goldfinch, Kingfisher, Owls, and Wood- 

 peckers. 



Cumberland. May 14th. C B E F S. 

 Close time extended to September 1st, 

 except for Plover and Wild Duck. Numerous 

 species added to the Schedule, and eggs 

 protected. Sunday and Christmas day 

 protection for the chief species sought by the 

 catcher, and also for the Shore-lark and 

 Lapland Bunting. 



Glamorgan. April 28th. A (<?) A (b) 

 B E F S. Identical with Order of 1906, with 

 addition of full protection for Merlin and 

 Golden Eagle. Protection for all birds and 



eggs on Worms Head for five years ; Sunday 

 protection ; full protection for the large 

 Hawks, Raven, Chough, Owls, Woodpeckers, 

 Goldfinch, Nightjar, Bittern, Razorbill, 

 Guillemot, Puffin, and other species. 



Swansea. April 7th. A (b) E F S. All 

 birds protected throughout the year on the 

 sands and seashore ; all birds protected on 

 Sundays. Fand E lists practically the same 

 as for the county. 



Caithness. March 25th. Sunday protec- 

 tion. Additional. 



Kincardine. March 25th. Sunday pro- 

 tection. Additional. 



Banff. April 10th. B E F. General 

 Order for Northern Division of Scotland, 



with certain additions. 



Donegal. April 25th. E. Eggs of 

 Chough, Raven, Golden Eagle, Phalaropes, 

 Terns, Red-throated Diver, and Petrels 

 protected for five years. 



