54 Protection to Birds. [Sess. 



till September, when Dame Nature is clad in her showiest 

 garments, and when the true student of natural history finds 

 much to feast his eyes upon. The river is teeming with 

 aquatic life ; the foliage around is luxuriant, and swarms with 

 birds of various descriptions ; and as for the botanist, he may 

 fairly revel in his surroundings. The sport, to the ordinary 

 JSTirnrod, is inexpensive : an everyday suit of clothes, a pair of 

 strong walking -boots, a good stout staff, and some of the 

 creature comforts in the pocket, are all that is required. The 

 pace seldom exceeds a good walk ; and as there are generally 

 numbers of ladies present who require assistance over the 

 fences, ditches, &c, there are plenty of opportunities for dis- 

 playing one's gallantry. The pursuit inculcates early rising, 

 as the meets take place at hours ranging from 6 to 8.30 A.M., 

 or even earlier, the sport terminating about 2 or 3 p.m. The 

 conventional dress worn by members of the otter-hunt is a 

 dark-blue suit of knickers, with red vest and blue cap. It is 

 quite a common thing, when an otter has been bolted and is 

 giving some trouble by trying to escape either up or down 

 stream, to see the gentlemen of the hunt rushing into the 

 water over knee-deep, trying to hem the " varmint " in. The 

 sport, therefore, is not so tame as it at first looks. As a 

 health-giving pursuit during the summer months, nothing can 

 equal otter-hunting. 



11.— PROTECTION TO BIRDS. 



By Dr WM. WATSON. 



(Read Nov. 25, 1892.) 



I appear before you to-night to urge you all, and more espec- 

 ially to urge the ladies belonging to this Society, to join, the 

 Society for the Protection of Birds, of which the Duchess 

 of Portland is President. Tens of thousands of birds are 

 destroyed annually in order to adorn ladies' bonnets. In 

 India the Commissioner of Scinde says that 3000 black 

 partridges have lately been killed within a few days. A 





