84 



BTBD NOTES AND NEWS. 



for certain species. Sunday protection in eight 

 Poor Law Unions, Horsham being added. Dipper, 

 Shrikes, Twite, Harriers (all), Golden and Sea Eagles, 

 Heron and Crane placed on the list of additions to 

 the schedule. Wrens (all),Treecreeper, Nutcracker, 

 Spotted Flycatcher, Grosbeak, Waxwing, Roller, 

 Bee-eater, Heron, and Stork, added to the 33 species 

 protected all the year. Wren, Firecrest, Harriers 

 (all), Peregrine, Sandgrouse, and Little Ringed 

 Plover added to the list of protected eggs. 



Brecon. June 24th. B E F. Birds added to 

 schedule and eggs protected as in Order of 1907. 



The following species protected all the year : 

 Bittern, Goldfinch, Kingfisher, Kite, Owl (all species), 

 Woodpecker (all species). 



Antrim. August 20th. E. Renews protection 

 of the following eggs between March 1st and August 

 1st, for five years from March 1st, 1910: Buzzard, 

 Chough, Crossbill, Harrier (all), Kingfisher, Peregrine 

 Falcon, Raven, Swan, Terns (all). 



Queen's County. August 18th. E. Protects 

 the following eggs, between March 1st and August 1 st, 

 for five years from March 1st, 1910 : Crossbill, 

 Harriers (all), Kingfisher, Swan. 



UcT 



usr ucr Notes, usr ^sr 



UqT 



THE END OF THE CLOSE TIME. 



" At the end of the Close Season a wave 

 of rural hooliganism is let loose on the long- 

 suffering countryside, for the sluice-gates of 

 the law have been opened, and the vile flood, 

 issuing from the sinks and sewers of village 

 purlieus, runs ingloriously free." This is not 

 the language of the R.S.P.B., but of the 

 Pall Mall Gazette in an article on Bird Pro- 

 tection in 1906. The village purlieus, how- 

 ever, do not furnish all the bird-catchers. 

 Those interested in the matter should pro- 

 cure one of the newspapers read by " the 

 fancy " and read the columns of advertise- 

 ments of nets and traps and cages, of bird- 

 lime that will " hold anything, from a Wren 

 to a Hawk," traps used by the " largest 

 Nightingale catcher in England," Kingfisher 

 nets " to hang over streams," and so on. 

 The attention of the several County Councils 

 may also be directed (not for the first 

 time) to the extensive offers of " warranted 

 Worcestershire Goldfinches," and of Linnets 

 from Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, 

 and Cambridge, by the twenty dozen. Bird 

 Protectors are apt to relax their efforts in 

 the open season. It would be an excellent 

 thing if they would find out what birds are 

 protected in their districts all the year, 

 would draw attention to such protection by 

 means of either the Press or the police, and 

 would write to the R.S.P.B., and use their 

 influence with County Councillors in cases 



where no protection is afforded useful species 

 like Goldfinches and Owls, or the social, 

 liberty-loving Linnet — of all little birds least 

 suited for the solitary cage. 



HOW TO DESTROY BIRDS. 



What, it may be urged, avails the efforts of 

 bird-lovers in the face of all this trading in 

 wild birds ? In the face of not only adver- 

 tisement of bird-trap, lime, and net, but also 

 of handbooks issued to give to all and sundry 

 instructions for the trapping and netting of 

 wild birds by the hundred ? It is not only 

 dealers who publish such details ; a volume 

 containing them has been lately issued even 

 by a reputable firm of publishers. What is 

 the use of an order solemnly declaring such- 

 and-such a species protected, while every 

 hobble-de-hoy is being taught how to lime it ? 

 Why strive to stay by our laws the slaughter 

 of Owl and Kingfisher when a recognized 

 writer, in the name of " Sport" brings out a 

 book for the specific purpose of teaching how 

 to trap and snare, with directions for the 

 taking of both these birds and for the setting 

 of spring-traps under water for destroying 

 Herons ? Such books are an incitement to 

 break the law. 



CAGE-BIRDS IN AMERICA. 



In the United States it is now illegal to 

 catch and cage native species. As it is feared 

 that this law may increase the number of im- 



