BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



53 



not make their rules sufficiently strong. 

 In order to avoid the great danger, or cer- 

 tainty, of other birds being killed and their 

 heads brought in to make a good total, every 

 such head should neutralise, say, twelve 

 sparrow-heads. The most serious allegation 

 made against the Sparrow was the carrying 

 of infection ; if this theory were established 

 a campaign of repression might be justified ; 

 but at present he did not admit the pro- 

 position. With regard to other charges, 

 one of the Council of the Anti-Vermin 

 Society had himself stated in the Times that 

 he considered them " not proven." 



Opinion among members of the Society 

 as to the character and depredations of the 

 Sparrow was not canvassed. It is known 

 to be very divergent. As to the methods 

 and results of the Sparrow Club as at present 

 conducted, there appear to be no two opinions. 

 The danger to other species, through inten- 

 tional or ignorant destruction by such clubs, 

 was emphasised by the Rev. A. Ellison 

 (Herts) ; by Colonel Creaghe-Haward, who 

 wrote : — 



" I should be in favour of such clubs provided 

 that great care was exercised that other birds, such 

 as Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Hedge-Accentors, 

 and other small and comparatively (some entirely) 

 harmless birds were not slaughtered. Failing such 

 assurance I would oppose these clubs. The Sparrow 

 does little good ; indeed, my experience goes to 

 show that even when most hard-billed birds are 

 feeding their young on insects, he often takes green 

 milky wheat ears. But as things are, I fear 

 Sparrow Clubs would do more harm than good; " 



by Mr. W. H. Allen (Bramber), who wrote : — 



" Sparrow Clubs in my opinion cannot be too 

 strongly condemned. Consisting as they do largely 

 of uneducated, ignorant lads, to whom cruelty is 

 a pastime, they should be discountenanced by every 

 lover of the country. The case against the Sparrow 

 is not well supported by fact. After many years' 

 observation I am convinced that the damage 

 attributed to the little birds arises incidentally in 

 the course of their endeavours to get insects parasitic 

 on the plants ;" 



by Miss Dismore (Wirral) and others, who 

 bore testimony to the manner in which the 

 raid against Sparrows is undermining the 

 humane teaching given to children. 



Bird-Catching and Caging. 



Sir George Kekewich urged the desir- 

 ability of legislation on the subject of bird- 

 catching and caging. If there were no caging 

 there would be no catching, and therefore 

 he was of opinion that it should be made 

 illegal to cage any British-breeding wild 

 bird. He spoke strongly on the cruelty of 

 small cages for such birds as Skylarks, 

 Blackbirds, and Nightingales, and of the 

 condition of wild birds generally in cap- 

 tivity ; and asked the Society to consider the 

 question of legislation on the lines which he 

 had indicated. — Mr. Sharpe promised con- 

 sideration of the subject, which has already 

 been many times before the Council, but 

 thought they must distinguish between birds 

 kept in proper and improper conditions, 

 and have recourse to the R.S.P.C.A. in direct 

 cases of cruelty. 



Educational Methods. 

 Under the general head of " The Work 

 of Local Hon. Secretaries " a large number 

 of useful propositions were brought forward. 

 Miss Simms (Charmouth) pressed the need of 

 a touring lecturer for rousing interest in 

 villages and village schools ; an excellent 

 suggestion for adoption when funds are forth- 

 coming. — Mr. Erisby (Loughborough) in 

 a similar appeal for a lecturer to visit 

 the towns, showed what earnest workers 

 can themselves do, by his interesting account 

 of his classes for Nature Study for boys, 

 which, beginning with an attendance of 30 

 increased to 200. Mrs. Price (Wye Valley) 

 suggested that local members of the Society 

 might often give addressses in schools or 

 offer prizes for essays by the children ; and 

 might see to it that the local Bird Protection 

 Order was hung in the school and was 

 understood. — Mrs. Williamson (Didsbury ) , and 

 Miss Sibly (Taunton) also urged the necessity 

 for educating the young, and for Nature 

 Study in the schools, the latter observing 

 that the desire of children to throw a stone 

 or poke a stick at something alive seemed 



