ON THE DESIRABILITY 01? ESTABLISHING A " CLOSE TIME." 63 



of constant direction on the alternating current, the writer has never been 

 able to detect any effect that could not be explained by 1>he' above results. 

 He has not been able to use a sine-inductor as yet, so that a complete discus- 

 sion of Dr. Schuster's results from this point of view has not been possible. 



Tho strong analogy of the phenomena to those obtained by Dr. Schuster, 

 and the fact that it has been found possible to produce the phenomenon in 

 three difierent galvanometers (it is of importance to remark that the needle 

 was elongated in all cases where the effect was strong), must, however, be 

 regarded as affecting tho probability of conclusions drawn from experiments 

 of this kind about the truth of Ohm's law. 



Report of the Committee, consisting of the Rev. H. F. Barnes, H. E. 

 Dresser (Secretary), T. Harland, J. E. Harting, T. J. Monk, 

 Professor Newton, and the Rev. Cauou Tristram, appointed for 

 the purpose of inquiring into the possibility of establishing a " Close 

 Time " for the 2^'>'otection of indigenous animals, and for watching 

 Bills introduced into Parliame^it affecting this subject. 



Your Committee has the pleasure of stating that Mr. Chaplin, II.P. for Mid 

 Lincolnshire, lost no time in fulfilling his promise, announced in its List 

 lleport, and immediately on the meeting of Parliament introduced into the 

 House of Commons the Bill for the Preservation of Wild Powl, which had 

 been prepared by your Committee, and has been referred to in its former 

 Reports. 



In order to aid Mr. Chaplin's efforts and to explain the objects of tho Bill, 

 yoiir Committee in February last issued and extensively circulated the 

 following statement : — 



"The Committee deems it expedient to offer a summary of its former 

 Reports, and a statement of its present views, in regard to the probability 

 of action being taken in Parliament during the ensuing Session for the 

 attainment of further protection of birds. 



" It has long since been stated by the Committee — and the statement is 

 beyond contradiction — that the birds which are comprehended under the 

 common designation of Wild Powl have, of all others, with the exception of 

 Birds-of-prey, most rapidly diminished in numbers throughout the United 

 Kingdom, and it cannot be doubted that their decrease is still going on. 



" The reasons which hinder the Committee from recommending any legis- 

 lative protection to Birds-of-prey are almost too obvious to need explanation. 

 The Committee, while believing the existence of such birds in certain 

 districts, and in numbers which are not excessive, is beneficial, is aware 

 that the contrary opinion is very strongly upheld by a large class of persons, 

 and is fully persuaded that were it possible to pass an Act for the protection 

 of these birds, its enforcement in a single instance would give the signal for 

 an agitation for its repeal, which would seriously damage the cause of bird- 

 protection in general. 



" On the other hand, no charge of injuriousness has ever been brought^ 

 or, if brought, could possibly be maintained — against AVild Fowl as a whole ; 

 while the employment that their capture affords to a considerable portion of 

 the population, and their utility as an article of food to almost the whole 

 community, render their protection highly desirable from an economical point 



