434 



NATURE 



[September i, 1892 



After some remark s by Prof. Merivale, the Chairman, and Mr. 

 Symons, the Conference passed on to Section B. 



In Section B the Chairman introduced the subject of the condi- 

 tions of the atmosphere in manufacturing towns, and Mr. Mark 

 Stirrup (Manchester) and Mr. Watts (Rochdale) said that observa- 

 tions and experiments were being made thereon in their respective 

 districts. 



Mr. De Ranee (Section C) stated that the i8th Report of 

 the Committee on Underground Waters had been read that 

 morning ; that the Committee thought it should be reappointed, 

 and that a volume containing abstracts of the previous Reports 

 should be published. The Committee on Coast Erosion hoped 

 to conclude its labours next year. The Committee on Erratic 

 Blocks continued to do good work. The Local Societies 

 could do much to assist this Committee by noting the posi- 

 tion of boulders, and by preserving them from destruction. 

 Prof. Lebour (Section C) postponed his remarks on Earth 

 Tremors. 



Mr. Watts (Rochdale) spoke upon the denudation of high- 

 lying dramage areas, and some observations he had made on 

 the amount of material brought down by flood waters, and the 

 degree of protection given by heather, grass, and peat. Dr. 

 H. R. Mill said that something had recently been done in 

 Germany to ascertain the amount of sediment in river water. 

 He thought it very desirable that a series of observations should 

 be made to determine the relative values of woodlands and 

 heather in protecting land, and was inclined to suggest the for- 

 mation of a Committee for that purpose. Mr. Watts said he 

 would be glad to give information as to the methods followed 

 in Rochdale. 



Geological Photography. — Mr. Arthur S. Reid (East Kent) 

 said that Mr. Jeffs had asked him to speak on the work of this 

 Committee. The number of photographs amounted to about 

 700. He exhibited a specimen volume of photographs, and 

 explained the way in which they were mounted and bound. He 

 thought it important that some uniform plan of photographing 

 geological subjects should be adopted, and that the plates used 

 should be orthochromatic or isochromatic. Mr. W. Gray 

 then spoke of the photographic work done by the Belfast 

 Naturalists' Field Club, and Dr. Stacey Wilson of that of the 

 Birmingham Philosophical Society ; Mr. J. Barclay Murdoch 

 mentioned the course proposed by the Geological Society of 

 Glasgow, and the Chairman recommended the use of ortho- 

 chromatic plates. 



The Chairman invited remarks on the destruction of native 

 plants and of wild birds' eggs. The Rev. E P. Knubley 

 (Yorks. Nat. Union) alluded to the Report presented to Sec- 

 tion D on the disappearance of native plants and its causes. 

 Mr. Watts said that two or three members of the Rochdale 

 Society proposed to work at this subject. Mr. Mark Stirrup 

 had a short paper by Mr. Leo. H. Grindon on the disappearance 

 of wild plants in the neighbourhood of Manchester. The 

 Chairman thought it might be read at the second conference. 

 Mr. Cuthbert Peek remarked on the great difficulty of obtaining 

 a conviction in cases in which ferns and other wild plants had 

 been taken from private grounds. 



Destruction of Wild Birds' Eggs.— The Rev. E. P. Knubley 

 said terrible damage had been done by the destruction of birds' 

 eggs. It was a serious matter, but it was very difficult to know 

 what to do in regard to it. For instance, take the case of the 

 great skua, which nested in the Shetland Islands ; in 1890 it is 

 said that not a single chick was reared on the whole of the 

 Foula colony. Every egg was taken, and in 1891 all the eggs 

 of the first laying were taken by the inhabitants and sold to 

 dealers. Other rare birds which nested in the Shetland Islands 

 were also persecuted. He had it on good authority that last 

 year not more than two or three nests of the red-throated diver 

 got off their young ; and the black-throated divers were not 

 more fortunate. One shilling apiece was given by dealers for 

 the eggs of the red-throated diver and 10^. a brace for those of 

 the black-throated diver. The whimbrels, which also nested 

 on the same islands, had been reduced to about twenty pairs, 

 and were likely to disappear. The red-necked phalarope was 

 very much in the same circumstances. The dealers gave a com- 

 mission to a local man, who was to get about 3^. a dozen for 

 every egg collected of all sorts and kinds. The local men in 

 turn got the herd boys to sweep the country of every egg they 

 could lay hands on, big and little, and for these they got about 

 id. a dozen. That was one way in which parts of Scotland had 

 been regularly swept, and that in spite of such protection as the 



owners could afford. They had men who followed about 

 strangers all day, but the natives took the eggs at night. Then, 

 again, one might mention that one heard that in Edinburgh 

 there was a gentleman who made it his boast that he had over 

 100 eggs of the golden eagle. What was to be done with a case 

 of that kind ? In some parts of England things were not any 

 better. The nesting stations of the lesser tern which existed on 

 the Fifeshire coast, the Lincolnshire coast, and at Spurn, in 

 Yorkshire, would shortly disappear altogether. The oyster 

 catcher and the Arctic tern had practically ceased to nest on the 

 Lincolnshire and Yorkshire coasts, and the ringed plover was 

 much scarcer than formerly. The redshanks and greenshanks 

 had in many parts also been persecuted to the death. The nests 

 of the bearded reedling, whose breeding station in the British 

 Islands was the Norfolk Broads, had been to his own know- 

 ledge systematically poached for sale for a number of years. 

 The only hope seemed to him to be in the creation of a public 

 feeling against the extermination of these birds. It would be 

 difficult to advocate anything like legislation. The most practi- 

 cal plan he had seen was this — that the Imperial Legislature 

 should grant powers to the County Councils to protect known 

 nesting-places in their districts for certain months of the year, 

 say from April 1st to June 30th. Such a plan would be simple, 

 and might be effective ; but for one thing they should endeavour 

 to do all in their power to help the owners and occupiers of land 

 to protect the birds and their eggs during the breeding season. 

 They might also see if they could not enlist the aid of the game- 

 keepers, who, with the farmers and proprietors, were beginning 

 to find out that all birds were not their enemie?. Collectors and 

 dealers should also be discouraged. Just as he came there that 

 day he had been told that 200 eggs of the stormy petrel had 

 been taken from one island on the west coast of Ireland and 

 given to one dealer. 



Mr. E. B. Poulton, Oxford, said that if they discouraged 

 the purchase of eggs, the trade of the dealer would soon cease. 



Mr. G. J. Symons said it was an old saying that there would 

 be no thieves if there were no receivers ; and possibly there 

 would be no dealers if there were no collectors. They should 

 discourage as much as they could this spoliation of the nests of 

 rare birds. 



Mr. Mills, Chesterfield, thought it would do good if some 

 small recognition were given to gamekeepers to assist in protect- 

 ing the nests of the birds. 



The Chairman asked if it would not strengthen the hands 

 of Mr. Knubley if the meeting was to pass some resolution on 

 the subject. 



Sir Douglas Galton hoped any resolution of the kind would 

 make an appeal to egg-collectors. 



A Delegate suggested that it might do some good if the name 

 of the Edinburgh gentleman with the 100 eggs of the golden 

 eagle were published. 



Mr. Whitaker suggested that the gentleman with the eggs 

 should have the feathers of the birds also presented to him with 

 the addition of a little tar. (Laughter.) 



Mr. Knubley said he would submit a resolution at the next 

 conference. 



In Section E the Chairman remarked that last year there had 

 been a discussion on the cost and antiquity of ordnance mips. 

 Sir Douglas Galton said that a Departmental Committee was 

 inquiring into the matter. Mr. Sowerbutts spoke of the bad- 

 ness of the teaching of geography in schools, giving examples 

 from examination papers. 



Flameless Explosives.— VtoL Merivale (in Section G) said he 

 had nothing to report. The Durham strike had interfered with 

 their arrangements, the proposed laboratories having been utilized 

 as stables. 



Under Section H Dr. Garson reported that there had been no 

 applications to the Committee last year for aid in connection with 

 anthropological exploration. He contended, however, that 

 local bodies, when they meant to make such explorations, should 

 give them notice. Valuable hints could be given them as to 

 how they should proceed. Notice was also taken by Dr. Garson 

 of certain anthropometric inquiries which were being conducted 

 as to the effects on the health and physique of the public school 

 system. 



The Secretary, at the request of the Chairman, read an extract 

 from a letter of Mr. Kenward, of Birmingham, giving particulars 

 of an anthropometric laboratory established at Birmingham, like 

 that of Mr. Francis Galton at South Kensington. Mr. Watts 

 and Dr. Garson added a few remarks. The Chairman proposed 



NO. I 192, VOL. 46] 



