JOURNAL OF THE WILD BIRD INVESTIGATION SOCIETY. 



13 



offence to take, dislurlj, or destroy the nest 

 of any bird whose eggs are protected. 



Power should exist to create sanctuaries; 

 and certain areas, such as the New Forest, 

 and areas controlled by ilie \\'ar Office and 

 the Admiralty, should be maintained auto- 

 matically as reserves for bird life. There 

 -shoidd be complete protection of all birds and 

 eggs within all Royal forests, subject to a 

 |irovision allowing the killing or taking of 

 |)articidar birds or the taking of their eggs 

 1)\- authorized persons. The State might use- 

 full\- consider the grant of a small subsid\- 

 to assist in the provision of watchers for pub- 

 lic sanctuaries. All killing or taking of birds 

 in an\- public place, highwa\', b\wa\-, com- 

 mon, or waste land should be prohibited 

 throughout the year. There should be general 

 ]:)rc)tection of all birds, eggs, and nests 

 throughotn the countr\' on Sundays. There 

 shtnild be a provision for the granting of 

 licences by the central authorit\- on the advice 

 of an Ornithological Advisory Committee, 

 the creation of which is recommended." 



The hojielessness of the present .Vets and 

 1I1C ilitihcidties of administration are vividly 

 brought out in the Minutes of Evidence. A 

 |ierfectly simple matter, vv/.., the protection 

 of all beneficial and rare birds, has been so 

 muddled by these Acts that the\- ha\-e almost 

 become dead letters. It is high time that the\' 

 were repealed and replaced b}' a simple vet 

 comprehensive .\ct framed on the lines of the 

 recommendations in this \aluable report. 



The schedules mentioned above are as 

 follows : — 



1 . (To receive absolute protection during 

 the breeding season). — Arctic or Richardson's 

 skua, black-throated diver, black-tailed god- 

 wit, capercaillie, dotterel, duck (all species), 

 eared grebe, fork-tailed petrel, goldfinch, 

 great-crested grebe, great skua, greenshank, 

 grey lag-goose, hobb\-. kestrel, kingfisher, 

 marsh warbler, merlin, nightjar, nightingale, 

 |)eregrine falcon, pied tlycatcher, (|uail, raven. 



led-necked phalarope, red-throated diver, 

 ringed plo\er, ruff and reeve, siskin, Sclav- 

 onian-grebe, snipe, stone-curlew, swan, terns 

 (all specie.s), water-rail, whimbrel, woodlark, 

 woodpeckers (all species), and wr\'neck. 



2. (To receive absolute protection all the 

 \ear round). — Avocet, Baillon's crake, beard- 

 ed reedling or bearded titmouse, bittern, 

 bustard, buzzard, chough, crested titmouse, 

 Dartford warbler, golden eagle, golden oriole, 

 harriers (all species), honey buzzard, hoopoe, 

 Kentish plover, kite, long-eared owl, osprev, 

 Pallas sand grouse, sea eagle, short-eared 

 owl, spoonbill, St. Kilda wren, iawn\' owl, 

 white or barn owl. 



THE JOURNAL OF THE 



WILD BIRD INVESTIGATION 

 SOCIETY. 



The Journal is supplied free to all Ordinary and Associate 

 Members. Non-vievibers of the Society may obtain it from the 

 publishers (post free) on forwarding subscriptioii of 2'^s. 6d. 



AH matter intended for publication should he written on one 

 side of the paper only. Typed MS. is desirable. Unrelated 

 subjects should be dealt with on different sheets. No notice will 

 be taken of anonymous communications. Xo matter can he 

 returned unless a stamped and directed envelope is enclosed. 



All communications should be addressed to Dr. U'. E. Collinge, 

 St. Andrews, Scotland. 



EDITORIAL. 



tL 



OUR SOCIETY. 



The need of a strong Society that would voice 

 the feelings of the country with reference to the 

 many problems connected with wild bird life has 

 long been experienced by students of this 

 important subject, and if any vindication were 

 necessary for launching a further organization, 

 it is at once forthcoming in the splendid response 

 made by ornithologists and others interested 

 throughout the country. 



That a wide field of activity lies before the 

 Societv no one doubts. The subject of our wild 

 birds and all pertaining to them has too long 

 been, to use the words of a member, " the 



