O.N ESTABLISHING A CLOSE TIME FOR INDIGENOUS ANIMALS. 257 



clays, and kindly gave me specimens of all the strata passed tbrough. 

 These, with his description, are at present in the hands of my friend. Dr. 

 James Geikie, F.R.S., for transmission to Mr. Mnrray or some other 

 specialist, from whom an account of their microscopic contents may 

 perhaps be forthcoming at the next meeting of the Association. 



Rejjort of the Committee, consisting of the Rev. H. F. Barnes-Law- 

 renc'k', ]Mr. SrENCE Bate, Mr. Henry E. Dresser {Secretary), ]Mr. 

 J. E. Harting, Dr. J. GtWyn Jeffreys, Mr. J. Gr. Shaw Lefevre, 

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

 the purpose of inquirinrj into the possibility of establishing a 

 Close time for Indigenous Animals. 



Your Committee has to report that on the 7th of June last Mr. Dillwyn, 

 M.P., obtained leave from the House of Commons to bring in a Bill to 

 amend the Laws relating to the Protection of Wild Birds, which Bill was 

 read a second time on the 14th, and ordered to be considered in Committee 

 of that House on the 21st of June. 



Owing to the late period at which the Bill was introduced, the rapid 

 progi'esa of its earlier stages, and the difiBculty of communicating with 

 some members of your Committee, an attempt to fix a meeting failed, and 

 your Committee, as a body, had therefore no opportunity of discussing 

 this Bill, nor, if need were, of reporting thereon to the Council of the 

 Association according to its instructions. In their private capacity some 

 members of your Committee, conceiving that the Bill contained much that 

 was objectionable, are understood to have made representations to that 

 effect to various members of the House of Commons whom they believed 

 to be interested in the subject. The Bill passed thi-ough Committee of 

 the House of Commons on the 21st of June, and, in consequence of the 

 various amendments then adopted, assumed an entirely different aspect 

 from that which it originally presented, several of the features believed to 

 have been regarded by some members of your Committee as most objec- 

 tionable having disappeared. In this state it was read a third time in the 

 House of Commons, and was sent to the House of Lords on the 15th of 

 July. 



In the House of Lords charge was taken of it by Lord Aberdare, and 

 it received very careful consideration, several important amendments pro- 

 posed by him and by Lords Lilford and Walsingham being made in it, both 

 in Committee and on Report, and it was read the third time on the 15th of 

 August. 



The Bill now awaits the approval of the House of Commons to the 

 Lords' amendments. 



Tour Committee, for the reasons above assigned, having been unable 

 to discuss this Bill, refrains from offering any remarks upon it, and, while 

 trusting that the new measure may prove to be efficient, begs leave to 

 submit this short statement of facts. 



1880. 



