12 



JOURNAL OF THE WILD BIRD INVESTIGATION' SOCIETY. 



THE REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENTAL 



COMMITTEE ON THE PROTECTION 



OF WILD BIRDS. 



.Vll interested in the protection of wild birds 

 will read this report with interest. This Com- 

 mittee was appointed in 1913 " To inquire 

 what action has been taken under the Wild 

 l>ird Protection Acts for the protection of 

 wild birds, and to consider whether any 

 Amendments of the Law or Improvements in 

 its Administration are required." Through- 

 out the inquiry the Committee have borne in 

 mind the unsatisfactory state of the law at 

 present, and the desirability of any future law 

 being simple, easily understood, and likely 

 to achieve the foHowing objects : — 



(i.) Birds that are rare or harmless, or are 

 positivelv valuable because of their utility or 

 beautv or the beauty of their song, should 

 be protected as far as possible. 



(ii.) Farmers, gardeners, and preservers of 

 gaine and fish should be allowed to protect 

 their interests against injurious birds. 



(iii.) The creation of a large number of 

 l^ettv offences should be avoided, and there 

 should be no vexatious iiilei-ference with the 

 studv of natural history. 



The Committee deals at considerable length 

 with the existing state of the law, and state 

 that there is no doubt that during the past 

 tift\- \ears there has been a great increase in 

 bird life in this country. Many species h;ive 

 returned and are now breeding regularly with 

 us, while in the case of some of the commoner 

 species they have increased to such an extent 

 as to become pests, and the.se call for energetic 

 measures for their control. 



Tlie law, however, has been largely ineffec- 

 ti\e in protecting very rare birds and their 

 eggs. The temptation to shoot an unknown 

 bird seems irresistible, and the Committee 

 fears that this destructive instinct in a large 

 section of the population will prove ineradic- 

 able whatever laws are passed. 



TWO METHODS OF PRCnECTION. 



" Turning to the question of proposed new 

 legislation, the Committee presents a series, 

 of important recommendations. First of all, 

 with regard to the protection of birds, i\\t> 

 methods were suggested to the Committee. 

 The tlrst is that birds to lie protected should 

 be named, anv bird not named being left 

 unprotected. The other is that all bird.s- 

 should be protected, except certain ver\- com- 

 mon and harmful birds named in a ' black 

 list.' The Committee considered that the 

 best solution was to be found in a modifica- 

 tion of the existing system, giving protection 

 to all birds during the breeding season (from 

 March ist to .September ist inclusive), sub- 

 ject to the right of an owner or occupier of 

 land, or person atuhorized b\' him in writing,, 

 to take on such land any bird injurious to 

 his interests, except birds in two schedules,, 

 which are specified belnw. With regard tO' 

 the birds mentioned in the two schedules, it 

 is proposed to give absolute protection duringf 

 the breeding season to those mentioned in the 

 first, and absolute protection all the year 

 round to those mentioned in the second. 

 There should be power to \'ar)- the close time 

 and the schedules, and to exempt certain, 

 destructi\e birds froin all protection. 



PROPOSED CLOSE SKASON FOR WOODCOCK. 



The central ainliorit\- should ha\"e power,, 

 on the application n\ the local authority, to 

 protect all birds, with specified exceptions, 

 throughout the whole or part of the local area. 

 There should be a close time tor woodcock 

 from February ist to October ist in each 

 \ear. The nests and eggs of birds mentioned 

 in the two schedules should be protected by 

 statute, and the central authorit\- slioidd, sa\'e 

 in exceptional circimistances, maintain the 

 imiform protection of birds and eggs. .Special 

 protection is proposed for plover and wood- 

 cock eggs and nests, and it should be am 



