Report of Council Meeting.



181



have a good deal), as I believe it to be positively’^injurious to Finches ;

I have tried it several times, but my birds have always sickened and

died shortly afterwards.


Now, it may be asked why I give to birds in freedom food

which I refuse to those in aviaries. A wild bird has to work hard

for its living and must be constantly on the alert to avoid predaceous

foes, so that it is constantly taking violent exercise, thus its

digestion is more active than that of the aviary bird ; moreover, in

winter it is exposed to intense cold and therefore can assimilate fatty

food which might prove too heating in a warmed enclosure ; an

Esquimaux transplanted even to our apology for a climate would prob¬

ably be no longer able to digest whale blubber, tallow, and lamp-oil.


There are generally plenty of berries about here ; in the front

of the house I have crimson may, mountain ash, holly, and pyra-

canthus ; and in the back garden crimson may, hawthorn, and ivy;

so I think probably Redwings, Fieldfares, and other Thrushes do

pretty well on my premises during the winter. I don’t know whether

snowberries are eaten, but there are always some in the garden ;

I don’t much care for them in the rockery, where they have grown.


In severe, cold weather I expect that Woodpeckers obtain a

meagre subsistence from stray acorns, nuts, and berries, but how the

unfortunate Kingfishers manage to survive a long frost I cannot

imagine ; the question is—Do they ? Whenever rivers are frozen

over, how are these birds able to secure fish ? If one could but do it,

what a kindness it would be to domesticate all our wild Kingfishers

during the winter months, turning them loose again in the spring !

But just think of the size of the aviary and aquarium which would

be needed, and the thousands of minnows and other small fish ! I

fear we shall have to be content to let the poor things die; they

ought all to migrate at the approach of winter ; I would if I could.


REPORT OF COUNCIL MEETING.


A Council Meeting of the Society was held by the kind per¬

mission of the Zoological Society of London at their Offices, Regent’s

Park, on February 23rd, 1917.


The following members were present: Mr. Meade-Waldo (in

the chair), Mr. B. C. Thomasset (Hon. Treasurer), Mr. Astley, the



