38 



JOURNAL OF THE WILD BIRD INVESTIGATION .SOCIETY. 



knew and realized what was goinj^- on they would 

 lake immediate steps to have the trade stopped." 

 Personally, we feel dubious about the inmiedi- 

 ate steps, but after Mr. Bonhote's report, which 

 we note was made in 1916, the authorities can 

 no longer plead ignorance of the facts. 



SMALL BIRDS DESTROYED BY SPARROW HAA/KS. 



A correspondent forwards to us some recent 

 counts that he has made of small birds found in 

 the nests of sparrow hawks. The largest num- 

 ber met with is as follows : 7 sky-larks, 3 

 chaflinches, 2 house-sparrows, 4 hedge accentors, 

 and 4 linnets. Some years ago Mr. Adam 

 Clcghorn recorded that, at Marcus, Forfar, on 

 lune 23rd, 1887, he counted 47 freshly-killed 

 ijirds in a nest, viz. : i young pheasant, 6 black- 

 birds, 4 sparrows, 5 robins, 5 chatlinches, 6 

 thrushes, 4 linnets, 7 tits of various kinds, 2 

 wrens, 2 yellow-hammers, 2 hedge accentors, and 

 3 larks. Both young and old birds were amongst 

 tiiesc, with the feathers partly plucked off, but 

 few of them touched in anv other way. 



«igii*i.{« .'s.s?te«' ■■g, ^ * fe i:.Af;^ rz- ^s^ %:-'•* •** 



CORRE SPONDENCE. 



.»'.ii '^ ;><.«v'?A.VSiVi>. IW 



These columns are open to Members to express their viezvs on 

 general top-cs, and fay the discussion of matters of interest to 

 ornithologists. The Editor takes no responsihitv for the opinions 

 expressed bv correspondents. No notice is taken of anonymous 

 communications. 



THE DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE AND THE 

 BIRD-CATCHER, 



.Sir, — From lime ininicmorial the bird-catcher 

 has been an object of scorn and disgust to most 

 people who are interested in wild birds. It is 

 therefore with considerable amazement that 1 

 read the following words in the Report recently 

 issued : — " That the trade of bird-catcher is of 

 great antiquity, and having no desire to see it 

 interfered with," etc. I cannot believe that this 

 view expresses the opinion of ornithologists, bird 

 lovers, or the general public. Personally I wish 

 to see the trade stopped, for apart from the 

 cruelty connected with if, I fail to see what right 

 these men have to rob the public of some of the 

 most beautiful objects of nature, and I sincerely 

 hope that the members of the W.B.I.S. will 

 raise their voices and give expression to their 

 views in no uncertain language. 



M. B. O. V. 



PROrECTION OF PLOVER'S EGGS. 



Sir, — The treatment this subject is receiying 

 from the authorities is typical of any attempt by 

 the Board of .Agriculture at useful ornithology. 



The Committee set up in 1913 have at last 

 published their report, and they rightly recom- 

 mend the question of the protection of plovers' 

 eggs to special consideration, and suggest that 

 they should be protected after the i5lh of .April in 

 each year. 



.After the publication of this report, the Food 

 Controller issues an order fixing the maximum 

 price of all eggs except plovers and gulls. .All 

 other small eggs are fixed at 3s. a dozen maxi- 

 mum retail. By not fixing- a maximum price for 

 plovers' eggs the Food Controller allows the 

 shopkeeper to make a larger profit by the selling 

 of these than any other egg, and this cannot have 

 any other effect than to directly encourage the 

 collection and sale of plovers' eggs. This, so 

 far, has been the only outcome of the recom- 

 mendations of a Committee wliich has sat, off and 

 on, for five years. 



The suggestion that the eggs of the plover may 

 be taken before .April 15th seems to lay the whole 

 object of the recommendation open to defeat, as 

 there is nothing to stop a shopkeeper from disj 

 playing in his shop freshly taken eggs after that 

 date and declaring they have been taken before 

 the 15th and kept in cold storage. If the egg 

 of the plover is not to be wholly protected, the 

 recommendation, to he really effective, should 

 have been " that the eggs of the plover are not 

 to be collected, offered for sale in a shop, i^r 

 served in a public restaurant after the i5tli of 

 -April in each vear. " 



H. DoLGL.AS Bessemer. 



Q^ — — — -^-Tisr-' — -- — . |vn 



Z LOCAL BRANCHES. X 



(j/3 ' ■^— tzi — . . . cvb 



One of the objects which the W.B.I.S. seeks 

 to carrv out is the establishment of a network of 

 local branches throughout the L'nited Kingdom. 

 .Such a series of clubs would not only have a 

 great educational value, but they would tend to 

 link together all who are interested in the study 

 of w ild bird life. Moreover, the members, bound 

 together as definite organizations, would un- 

 doubtedly exercise a most beneficial influence 

 upon all matters pertaining to the subject in their 

 respective districts. 



