52 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



not in tufts, and could be picked up only 

 here and there over wide intervals of space, 

 sometimes in swampy water, sometimes on 

 bog, which a man cannot walk upon without 

 sinking. A httle arithmetic will show how 

 many of such separate feathers would have 

 to be gathered in this laborious fashion to 

 amount to a single kilogramme." 



The quantity exported from Venezuela per 

 annum would require, on the accepted 

 computation, some two-and-a-haK millions 

 of the heavier feathers, and a proportionately 

 larger number of the small ones. 



Mr. Percy Alden, M.P., again brought in, 

 on February 22nd, a Bill to prohibit the 

 sale, hire, or exchange of the plumage and 

 skins of birds named in a schedule to the 

 Bill. The provisions of the measure are 

 practically the same as those contained in 

 the Bill introduced by Mr, Alden last year, 

 with some additions to the Hst in the schedule. 

 The opposition was led by Mr. Carlile (St. 

 Albans). The first reading was carried by 

 326 to 48, but the second reading of the 

 Bill now stands deferred till April 10th. 

 Among the supporters of the Bill were Mr. 

 Asquith, Mr. Birrell, and Mr. John Burns. 



ucT ueT Economic Ornithology, ucr ^sr 



BULBS AND BIRDS. 



• Some correspondence in Gardening Illus- 

 trated, concerning the attacks of Sparrows 

 on crocuses and other flowers, brought an 

 interesting letter from " Alauda " (February 

 11th, 1911). A taste for spring flowers 

 appears to be a quite recent addition to the 

 sins of the House-sparrow, and, on occasion, 

 of one or two other birds ; and it has puzzled 

 gardeners to know whether the moisture in 

 the flowers, the flavour of pollen and pistil, 

 the tender vegetable food at a time when 

 green food is scarce, or sheer villainy on the 

 part of the birds, is the cause of the attacks. 

 Some gardens do not suffer at all ; in others 

 polyanthuses, as well as crocuses, are pulled 

 to pieces ; and in every case the yellow 

 flowers are the victims. " Alauda " writes : 



'First as to crocuses and bii'ds. I speak with 

 some authority about these, as I have four very 

 large grass glades filled with them. One, in which 

 the flowers almost tovich, is 70 feet by 30 feet, be- 

 sides three large beds imderplanted with them and 

 quantities in the borders. I have never lost a bulb 

 of mauve, white or jjiirple flowers through birds, 

 but the Sparrow cannot resist the yellow ones. 

 These are always protected as soon as the colour 

 begins to show, by having some slight sticks jjut 

 amongst them, and webbed over with ' Patent 



Webber.' Birds detest the soft web sticking to their 

 feathers, and it is a far more effective way than 

 using black cotton. 



" I have now a glorious patch in full bloom of 

 200 Crocus Imperati. In the shrubbery just behind 

 it, cocoanuts, beef-bones, nesting-boxes and one of 

 Baron Berlepsch's food-bells are hanging up, and 

 the place is alive with every sort of bird, yet not a 

 bloom of the crocus is disturbed. 



" Every sort of bird is catered for in my garden. 

 .... and the little extra trouble to use the syringe 

 and bud protection, and net your fruit in the summer 

 (doing this all in good tinie, and not after damage 

 has been done) is more than amply repaid by the 

 destruction going on all the year round of wire- 

 worms, slugs and other insect-pests by the bii'ds. 



" The practical German, whose fruit-crops are 

 very highly valued as helping to pay the rent, killed 

 off every bird he could find, with the result that the 

 fruit was uneatable — a mass of insect-eaten mess — 

 and only fit for pulping and exi^ort to England 

 (presumably as a foundation for cheap jam). Now 

 the German is doing all he can to get ui^ the stock of 

 birds again. Boys ai-e heavily fined for bird-nest- 

 ing ; nesting-boxes are hung up in orchards ; and it 

 is almost hopeless to keep a cat, the peasants told 

 me, as the fruit-tree inspectors (which is a profession 

 in Germany) have them all sliot. 



" To sum up, in the words of my own gardener : 

 ' Give me plenty of netting for summer, a syringe, 

 bud-protecting liquid and the patent webber, and 

 tlie more birds the better, except Sparrows. I was 

 brought up in gardens where they were destroyed, 

 but I've proved here that they do far more good 

 than harm.' " 



