BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



G3 



THE WORK OF THE INSPECTOR. 



The Society's inspector, who did excellent 

 work, it will be remembered, among the 

 birdcatchers and bird-shops during the 

 spring of 1908, resumed work on March 1st, 

 with the special object of visiting districts 

 where bird-catching is rife, working with the 

 police, the R.S.P.CA. inspectors, and the 

 County Councils for the observance of the 

 law, which is often not fully understood ; 

 and generally of investigating the traffic 

 carried on in wild birds. Information or 

 complaints sent to the Society's office will 

 have all possible consideration, though it is 

 of course impossible at present to touch 

 districts far distant from London, unless in 

 exceptional cases. 



SONG RECITAL AT KINNOULL. 



Through the kindness of the Rev. J. YV. 

 Henderson, president, and Miss Alice Hender- 

 son, secretary, the Kinnoull League of Merciful 



Children gave a song recital in aid of the 



R.S.P.B., at the Kinnoull Parish Church 

 Hall, Perth, on February 22nd and February 

 24th. The League originated in a desire to 

 make the children's singing-class attached 

 In llie church a means of interesting the 

 young people in humanitarian work. In 

 this instance the programme was devoted 

 to birds, the attractive solos, part-songs, 

 and choruses selected all having reference to 

 bird-life. They were illustrated with slides, 

 lent by the Society and shown by Mr. 

 Henderson, who presided and gave eloquent 

 and sympathetic comments. The children 

 had been admirably trained by Miss 

 Anderson, organizer of the entertainment, 

 assisted by Miss Leslie. Ci The Legend of the 

 Crossbill " was sung by Miss Anderson her- 

 self. The recital was a great success. The 

 League numbers between fifty and sixty 

 children, a large proportion of whom are also 

 enrolled Associates of the R.S.P.B. 



usr ucr The Plume Sales. 



UcT UcT 



It is significant that since the revelations 

 made before the House of Lords Select 

 Committee on the Plumage Importation 

 Bill, as to the numbers of birds brought into 

 the London plume mart (see Bird Notes 

 and News, Autumn Number, 1908), the 

 detailed advertisements of the plume sales 

 have been withdrawn, and the publi- 

 cation of reports in the official journal has 

 been stopped. Some of the features of the 

 year's six sales, in addition to the immense 

 quantities of Ci osprey " feathers marketed. 

 have been the numbers of Sooty Terns (some 

 50,000) and of Crowned Pigeons. The latter, 

 all from New Guinea, their one habitat. 

 were represented by considerably over 20,000 

 skins, one firm alone cataloguing 4640 at 

 the December sale. The total number of 

 Birds of Paradise catalogued was about 

 double the number in 1907. amounting to 

 over 50,000. 



Since the issue of the R.S.P.B. Leaflets 

 GO and 61, a further letter on the subject of 



'* Moulted Plumes " has been received by 

 the Society, from H.B.M. Vice-Consul at 

 Cordoba. The writer says that he has been 

 in communication with Dr. Albarracin, 

 President of the Argentine Society for tin 1 

 Protection of Animals, whose letter he en- 

 closes, and whose statements "fully coincide 

 with what I have always understood was 

 and is the custom in Argentine territories, 

 of killing these birds (Herons and Egrets) 

 at nesting time for their plumes. This cruel 

 procedure will in a short time cause the 

 extermination of two of the handsomest and 

 most inoffensive of all our native birds. It is 

 to be sincerely regretted that up to the 

 present the draft of Law presented to the 

 Argentine Congress by the S.P.A. has not 

 yet been sanctioned, and I consider that an 

 effort should be made when the Congress 

 opens in May next to have the project 

 brought forward again." The draft of 

 Law referred to prohibits the export of 

 plumes. 



