166 HHITISII BIRDS. [vol. xv. 



Some further references to Charleton's observations on birds 

 will be given under their respective headings. 



Churchwardens' Accounts. — Mr. Gurney mentions in 

 a note on p. 154 of the Annals entries of money paid by 

 Churchwardens for the destruction of vermin, and on p. 144 

 refers to the statute of 24 Henry VIII., cap. 10., in so far as 

 it applies to Crow-nets. 



The record of the various birds for which these parish 

 officials paid money is an important source of information 



A Hoopoe. From Walter Charleton's Oiwmaslicou Zoicnn. 



concerning the bird-life of this country in bygone times, and 

 has in some cases been most carefully recorded. It should 

 be remembered that these payments and records were not 

 due to the individual enterprise of parishes or officials but 

 were imposed on them by the Act of Henry VIII. above- 

 mentioned and by the two continuing Acts of 8 Eliz. cap. 

 15 and 14 Eliz. cap. 11. The text of the first cited Act is 

 as follows : — 



"Anno 24 Hen. VHI. A.D. 1532-3. Cap. X. 

 "An Act made and ordained to destroy Choughs, Crows, and Rooks. 



" FORASMUCH as innumerable Numbers of Rooks Crows and 

 " Choughs do daily breed and increase throughout this Realm, which 



