.^s 



JOUUWI. OF THE WILD BIRD INVESTIGATION SOCIETY. 



OUTDOOR BIRD STUDY. 



I'ndtr this title Mr. E. H. Forbush, the State 

 Ornithologist of Massachussetts, has issued a 

 most useful and interesting- booklet containing a 

 series of hints for beginners. I'nder the headings 

 How to find birds : How to knoA\- birds : How to 

 approach birds : and How to attract birds, there 

 is a wealth of sound and practical advice seldom 

 found in so small a compass. The following 

 passage is deserving of special attention. 

 " Science is truth. Its records must be based on 

 facts. Therefore if you report your findings, you 

 should be sure, first, that they are authentic. A 

 fertile imagination is a great gift, useful for the 

 writer of fiction, but it has no place in bird study. 

 A ' creative memorv ' is not an asset for the bird 

 student. " 



FOOD OF THE LITTLE OWL. 



On the flimsiest exidence this handsome and 

 quaint little bird has been condemned as an enemy 

 of game birds, in spite of numerous statements 

 to the contrarv. As a matter of fact only a very 

 small percentage of its food consists of young 

 birds, and game birds bv no means form the bulk 

 of this. In his valuable and interesting Ornitho- 

 logical Notes from Norfolk for 1919 (Brit. Birds, 

 1920, p. 259) Mr. J. H. Gurney writes : " There 

 seems to be a prevailing prejudice against it, but 

 the harm it does has been greatly exaggerated, in 

 spite of what numerous letters to sporting papers 

 mav say to the contrary : at any rate, in the south 

 of France it is not looked upon with disfavour, 

 and the test of dissection is rather in its favour 

 than otherwise." Prejudice and exaggeration 

 seem to be the basis of the evidence against it. 



THE DESTRUCTION OF SKYLARKS. 



Our contemporarv. Bird Notes and News, 

 draws attention to the trade that is being carried 

 on bv bird-catchers in Skylarks, Goldfinches, and 

 Linnets. The Skylarks are netted to " festoon 

 poulterers' shops and to grace the dinners of city 

 magnates or the dance-suppers of would-be smart 

 women." The suggestion that " members of the 

 R.S.P.B. should refuse to deal with any poulterer 

 or with any game department of any store where 

 Larks are offered for sale," is an excellent one, 

 and might well be supported by members of the 

 W.B.L.S. and the public generally. Such action 

 would quicklv put an end to this scandal. 



CALL-NOTE OF BIRDS 

 In a recent paper entitled " .Sequestration 

 Notes " (.Auk, 1920, pp. S4-S8) Mr. Joseph Grin- 



nell points out that certain non-flocking passerine 

 birds, such as the Ruby-crowned Kinglets (Regii- 

 his) and .Audubon Warblers (Deudroica), which 

 feed upon small insects, which in winter are not 

 abundant, and consequentl} must be looked for 

 on every leaf and twig to find enough, must avoid 

 duplicating territorv that their neighbours have 

 already scrutinized. In other words, two or more 

 individuals must not follow each other's paths or 

 look over the same ground, at least not until there 

 has been time for insect life to move about again. 

 The writer's view is that these birds have devel- 

 oped a special note or call warning other birds 

 to avoid territorv alreadv occupied. 



WILD BIRO PROTECTION ACTS. 



The following committees have been appointed 

 to advise the Government in connection with the 

 administration of the Wild Birds Protection .Acts. 

 By the Home Secretarv for England : — His Grace 

 the Duke of Rutland,' K.G. (Clniinuiin), Mr. H. 

 G. Maurice, C.B., .Mr. Percy R. Lowe, M.B., 

 Dr. Montague Sharp, and Mr. E. C. Stuart 

 Baker, O.B.E. By the Secretarv for Scotland : — 

 Mr. Hugh S. Gladstone, M..A.' (Cliuirnian), Dr. 

 W. Eagle Clarke, Dr. Walter E. Collinge, .Mr. 

 H. M. Conacher, Mr. H. J. Crowe, and Prof. J. 

 .Arthur Thomson. 



One of the objects which the \\'.B.1..S. seeks 

 to carry out is the establishment of a network of 

 local branches throughout the United 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 wild bird life. Moreover, the members, bound 

 together as definite organizations, would un- 

 doubtedlv exercise a most beneficial influence 

 upon all matters pertaining to the subject in their 

 respective districts. 



Any two Ordinary Members of the Society who 

 are willing to act as Chairman and Honorary 

 Secretary respectivelv, can, with the sanction of 

 the Council, call together those interested, and if 

 ten Ordinary or .Associate Members can be 

 obtained, the Branch can be formed, weekly or 



