36 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



living thing and its natural movements. He 

 wanted to emphasise strongly that the living 

 thing in its proper surroundings should be 

 the object of Nature Study, not the dead, 

 dried or stuffed specimens. Speaking, there- 

 fore, not as a director of education but as a 

 friend of the children, he put in a plea for 

 Bird and Tree work as a subject that ought 

 to be taken up, not only in rural schools 

 but in all schools, and one which should 

 be regarded earnestly and seriously. 



IN THE COURTS. 



Stealing Gulls' Eggs.— At Dover, on July 28th, 

 Harry Wilson was convicted for stealing nine Gulls' 

 eggs from the cliffs at Guston on Jime 6th. Inspector 

 Bvirroughs watched the case on behalf of the Royal 

 Society for the Protection of Birds, and in answer 

 to a question from the Bench, stated that the penalty 

 was £1 per egg, but that as this was a first offence 

 the Society would be satisfied if a lesser penalty 

 were inflicted, as the main object was to stop the 

 taking of protected eggs. The Court inflicted a fine 

 of 9s. and costs. — At Penmaen (Gower), Herbert 

 Finch and Charles Payne were fined lis. 6d. and 8s. 

 costs, and George Payne, lis. 6d. and 23s. costs, for 

 taking Gulls ' eggs from Worms Head , a protected area. 



Taking a Raee Bird. At Lerwick, on July 30th, 

 Magnus Tulloch, dealer, of Burravoe, South Yell, 

 was convicted of having in his possession a young 

 Richardson's Skua, a scheduled bird. Fined £1, 

 and the forfeitiu-e of the bird ordered. 



Birdcatching. — At Lewes, on August 30th, 

 Henry Pannett, of Brighton, was fined 5s. and 73. 

 costs for using nets to take Linnets at Rottingdean. 

 He was heard whistling as Linnets passed over, and 

 one bird was found in a concealed bag. Defendant 

 said he was catching Starlings, and meant to release 

 the Linnet, which had woiuided itself against his 

 ropes. There were previous convictions for bird- 

 catching and cruelty. — At Neston, on August 30th, 

 John Fearon, of Liverpool, was charged with catch- 

 ing Linnets, birds protected all the year in Cheshire. 

 Defendant said he had permission from the farmer 

 to catch as many birds as he Uked. Ordered to 

 pay the costs, 4s. 6d. — At Methwold (Norfolk), on 

 August 2nd, Richard Fenn, birdcatcher, was 

 charged with having nine Crossbills in his possession, 

 and also with possession of eighteen wild birds, 

 recently caught, and with cruelty to birds in 

 captivity. The police, having come across Fenn 

 in possession of the Crossbills, newly caught, went 

 with an R.S.P.C.A. Inspector to the man's lodgings, 

 and found there the birds in a box with Linnets and 

 Chaffinches, all looking three-parts dead. In 

 another box, about 18 ins. square, were eight Chaf- 

 finches, five Redpolls, four Linnets, and a Yellow- 

 hammer, all in a half-smothered state and two 

 dying. Close by was a set of nets and poles. Fenn 

 said he meant to go on catching till stopped, and 



refused to liberate the birds. The police took the 

 box and put the birds in a big cage, but all except 

 three died before next morning. In a bedroom were 

 found four Chaffinches, two Linnets and a Bullfinch, 

 in cages 7 ins. by 4 ins. and 7 ins. deep. Cages and 

 birds were filthy, only two birds had water, and the 

 stench was almost unbearable. In default of pay- 

 ment of fines, defendant was committed for six 

 weeks. 



Cruelty to Decoy-Birds. — At Bristol, George 

 Parker was convicted of cruelty to three Linnets at 

 Filton, on August 1st. The birds were braced with 

 strmg, and had been so cruelly used that they had 

 to be killed. Fined 9s. — -At Kingston, on July 7th, 

 Walter Austin and Samuel Whitby, of Mortlake,were 

 fined 20s. each for torturing two Linnets on Ham 

 Common. The birds were fastened to pegs to act 

 as decoys, and on the ground were a net and a cage 

 containing about twenty Linnets which had been 

 caught. Whitby said it was their only means of 

 getting a living, and they would find parrots, 

 redpolls, and other birds tied down to their cages 

 in just the same way in gentlemen's houses. 



GREETING CARDS FOR 1910-11. 



" We and the little cheerful Goldfinch 

 Perched above that blessed seat . . 

 Glorify the happy Mother, 

 Glorify the Holy Child." 



"CHRISTMAS CAROLLERS." 



The Society's Christmas Card for 1910—11. 



SPECIALLY DESIGNED, 



In part from the picture by Giovanni Bellini, and 

 reproduced in colour. 



Words by the late Lord Houghton. 



One card, 3d., by post, S^d. ; one dozen, 2s. 6d., 

 by jDost, 2s. 8d. With, or without. Calendar for 1911. 



Ready November 1st. 



SEASONABLE POSTCARDS. 



Id. each, by jDost, IJd. ; one dozen. Is. post free. 



"THE STORY OF THE EGRET." 



In Seven Scenes. 



With reproductions of Photographs taken by Mr. 

 Mattingley, of the Australasian Ornithologists' 

 Union ; price 3d., by post 4d. ; mounted on art 

 paper Is., post free. 



Arranged as a wall-sheet or placard, with selected 

 letterpress, 3d., by post 4d. Mounted on stout 

 cardboard, ready for hanging. Is. free. 



Bird Notes and News (issued quarterly) will 

 be sent post free to any address for Is. per annum, 

 payable in advance ; single numbers, 3d. 



To Members of the Society subscribing 5s. and 

 upwards per annum it is forwarded gratis and post 

 free. 



Printed by Witherbv & Co., 326, High Holborn, W.C., and 

 published by the Royal Society por the Protection of Birds, 

 23, Queen Anne's Gate, S.W. 



