BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



51 



The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. 



COUNCIL MEETING. 



The Council of the Society met on October 

 2nd, 1908, Mr. Montagu Sharpe (Chairman) 

 presiding. Present: Mr. Bell, Hon. A. 

 Dobson, Hon. Mrs'. Drewitt, Dr. Drewitt, Sir 

 George Kekewich, Mr. King, Mr. Hastings 

 Lees, Mrs. F. E. Lemon, Mr. Meade- Waldo, 

 Captain Tailby, Mr. Trevor-Battye, Mr. 

 F. E. Lemon (Hon. Sec), and Miss Gardiner 

 (Secretary). 



Hon. Secretary's Report — The Hon. Secre- 

 tary reported the issue of Bird Protection 

 Orders for Cardiff and Merthyr Tydvil. 

 The former, an amended Order, gives pro- 

 tection all the year to a large number of 

 species and their eggs (dated September 9th, 

 1908). The latter, a new Order, adds 11 

 species to the Schedule, protects 26 species 

 all the year round, protects certain eggs, 

 and prohibits Sunday shooting and snaring 

 (dated September 9th, 1908). Arrangements 

 for the judging of Bird and Tree essays were 

 also reported. 



Finance and General Purposes Com- 

 mittee. — A legacy to the Society of £500 

 under the will of the late Mr. Josiah John 

 Morgan, of Gower Lodge, Bexley, was 

 reported, and the accounts for the quarter 

 were passed. The following Hon. Local 

 Secretaries were appointed : — Letchworth 

 (Garden City), Mr. W. Percival Westell ; 

 Invernesshire, Mr. H. B. Macpherson ; 

 Argyleshire, Mr. R. H. Stenhouse. Four new 

 Fellows were elected : Lord Ninian Crichton- 

 Stuart, House of Falkland, N.B. ; Sir 

 Frederick Howard, Abbey Close, Bedford ; 

 J. W. Field, Southsea House, Dorking ; 

 Mrs. E. E. Hewson, Ovington Park, Aires- 

 ford. The following were elected 

 Members, the two first-named as Life 

 Members : — - 



Miss A. S. Lemon (Worthing), Sir Charles E. 

 Adam (Lincoln's Inn). John Briefer. M.P. (Keightley). 



Verney Carter (Fulham), Colonel Colomb (.Junior 

 United Service Club), Miss E. Derry (Ramsgate), 

 W. H. Doubleday (Streatham), Alex. Forsyth 

 (Buxton), Mrs. Hutt (Erith), W. T. Lye (Leagrave 

 Hall), .Mrs. Palmer (Hythe), Miss Robinson (Air- 

 field), Dr. Philip Moysey Toms (Ashford), the 

 Misses Vallentin (Croydon), Sir Harry Vernon, 

 Bart. (Hanbury Hall). 



The suggestion that some eminent friends 

 of the cause should be elected as Honorary 

 Fellows was referred back to Committee. 

 The position of the Plumage Bill and various 

 other subjects were considered. 



The report of the Publication Committee 

 were also received. 



General Business — Discussion took place 

 on the need for further legislation to deal 

 with the catching and selling of wild birds ; 

 on the attitude towards Sparrows of the 

 National Society for the Destruction of 

 Vermin ; and on several matters reported 

 to the Society by correspondents. Miss 

 Clifton, H.L.S. for Romford, was nomi- 

 nated to serve on the Council in place of the 

 Rev. J. E. Kelsall, resigned. 



OBITUARY. 



A valued Member has been lost to the 

 Council in the sad death of the Hon. Alfred 

 Dobson, C.M.G., Agent-General in London 

 for Tasmania, who was accidentally drowned 

 in the Channel on December 5th, through 

 falling overboard the steamship on which he 

 was returning to England from Paris. Mr. 

 Dobson, who was formerly Attorney-General 

 and Solicitor-General of Tasmania, joined the 

 Council of the Society in 1905; he was a 

 constant attendant at its meetings and gave 

 close attention to the details of its work. 



The Society has also deeply to regret the 

 loss of the Hon. Mary Elizabeth Powys, who 

 died on October 10th. A sister of the late 

 Lord Lilford, Miss Powys was a constant 

 friend of the R.SPB.. and has left a legacy 

 of £300 to the work. Another Fellow of the 

 Society and sincere friend to the cause was 

 Sir Henry Bergne, who died after a short 

 illness on November 15th. 



