96 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 





BIRD-FOOD IN WINTER. 



In response to many requests, the R.S.P.B. 

 is this year supplying, in addition to nesting - 

 boxes for birds, a variety of food-tables and 

 trays for feeding the birds in winter, out of 

 the reach of cats. Full particulars and illus- 

 trated list can be had from the R.S.P.B. 

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



The illustration shows the simplest of 

 the patterns, a cheap oak-stained tray for 

 the window-ledge, easily fixed and easily 

 removed. 



All manner of scraps, bread, rice, porridge, 

 seed of all kinds, corn, fruit, nuts, sunflower 

 seeds, broken dog-biscuit and " melox," etc., 

 can be provided on the tables according to 

 the differing tastes of the guests, and during 

 a hard frost water should also be supplied. 



IN THE COURTS. 



BiRD-CATCHiNO. -- At Dronfield (Sheffield), on 

 October 2nd, Daniel Mather and William Clapham 

 weie fined £2 each for cruelty to Linnets, and were 

 ordered to pay 10s. each and forfeit their bird- 

 catching outfit, for taking Linnets at Totley, on 

 Sunday, September 17th. The Royal Society for 

 the Protection of Birds prosecuted. The men when 

 stopped by the police, had 28 birds ; 17 were 

 cranuned together in one small compartment of 

 the cage, and one of these was dead. Defendants 

 pleaded ignorance of the law. In order to deprive 

 other possible offenders of this excuse, the Sheffield 

 police have circulated a number of handbills 

 reporting the case. — .\t Doncnster, on October 28th, 



William H. Cooper and Thomas Maynham were 

 fined .5s. and 2s. fid. respectively, and costs, for 

 taking liinnets. Maynham asked if ho could have 

 his birds back. Supt. Hickes : If you don't go 

 bird-catching with them. (Supt. Hickes will pcr- 

 hajjs see that he does not do so). — At Newport 

 (Mon.), on November 6th, William Webley was 

 ordered to pay 5s. costs for using nets to catch 

 Goldfinches. Samuel Hale was fined 10s. fid. for 

 a similar offence. He said he gave up catching a 

 fortnight ago because it was " getting hot," but as 

 other catchers did it, he saw no reason why he 

 should not. He had caught 47 birds in a morning, 

 and got 15s. a dozen for cocks. James Williams 

 was fined 2s. fid. costs for using lime to take Gold- 

 finches. The Mayor said the Corporation had gone 

 to a great deal of trouble in framing the Order 

 and meant to have it carried out. — At Perth, on 

 November 9th, William Young and Alexa.nder 

 Prophet were fined 10s. each for snaring Linnets 

 at Longforgan. They used a long line smeared 

 with bu'd-lime, and had five cages of decoy-birds. 

 Sheriff Sym said he had often given warnings 

 against bird-catching, and it must be put a stop to. 



The Bikd-Shop. — At Clerkenwell, on September 

 22nd, George Palmer, of Upper Street, Islington, 

 was fined 42s. for cruelty to 3fi Linnets, fi Larks, 

 and 6 Goldfinches. The R.S.P.C.A. prosecuted 

 and stated that the birds were in a filthy condition, 

 with a little seed and foul water, and the cages had 

 not been cleaned for at least 48 hours. Some of 

 the birds were dead and others dymg. The Linnets 

 were marked " four for lOd.," and the Larks 8d. 

 each. P.alnver said the cages were cleaned regularly 

 and the birds died through hav^ing a bad kind of 

 seed. — At Nottingham on October 6th, Charles 

 Pratt, a dealer, was fined 20s. for possession of 

 recently-taken Goldfinches. Pratt declared that 

 the birds were foreign ; but this was no defence, 

 as they are protected all the year in that city. — At 

 Brighton, on October 16th, William Rogers was 

 summoned for possession of 76 newly-taken Linnets, 

 birds protected all the year in that Borough. The 

 defence that the birds were taken outside the area, 

 was withdrawn. The Mayor said a fine of £1 for 

 each bird was empowered, but they would make 

 it 2d., a total of 12s. 8d. 



The Pole-Tr vp Act. — An effort was made at 

 Ballymoney, on No\'ember 20th, to have the liming 

 of trees declared an offence iinder the Pole-Trap 

 Act. James Fines had hung a cage containing the 

 decoy bird to the branch of a tree, and limed a twig 

 near by. This, it was urged, was practically a 

 trap for " catching and causing bodily mjiu-y to 

 wild birds." After considerable argument, the 

 magistrates dismissed the case, on tl^.e groiuid that 

 lime did not injure birds. 



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 53. and 

 upwards per annum it is forwarded gratis and post 

 free. 



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

 published by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 

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



