Vol. xlii.] 114 



Before the commencement of the ordinary business of 

 the Club, the Chairman announced that previous to the 

 Dinner a meeting of the Committee had been held in 

 order to decide what action should be taken in regard 

 to the transactions of the Oological Club. After souie 

 discussion it was decided that, as the British Ornithologists' 

 Club was in no way responsible for the proceedings of the 

 Oological Club, it was undesirable that these should be 

 published in the 'Bulletin' in future. 



The Chairman further stated that this question had 

 been raised in consequence of some remarks made by 

 Earl Buxton at a recent meeting of the Royal Society 

 for the Protection of Birds, when he (Lord Buxton) 

 criticized with considerable warmth some of the exhibitions 

 of large series of clutches of eggs exhibited at the Oological 

 Dinners and reported in the ' Bulletin.' 



Lord Buxton's remarks were brought to the notice of 

 the Committee of the Union, and the following letter, 

 signed by the President and Secretary of the Union on 

 behalf of the Committee, appeared in the ' Times ' of the 

 10th April :— 



" Wild Bird Protection. 



" To the Editor of the ' Times: 



" Sir, — In consequence of the exhibition of some 

 clutches of wild birds' eggs at the last Oological dinner, 

 Lord Buxton, at the annual meeting of the Royal Society 

 for the Protection of Birds, drew public attention to the 

 action of certain oologists as constituting a distinct menace 

 to the effective protection of wild birds and to the 

 due enforcement of the laws passed for their protection. 

 Lord Buxton forwarded a copy of his speech to the British 

 Ornithologists' Union for their observations. 



" In the first place, the Committee of the B. 0. U. would 

 point out that the Oological dinners are not held under 

 the auspices of the British Ornithologists' Union, nor are 

 those who attend necessarily members cither of the B. 0. 

 Union or the B.O. Club. In view, however, of the public 



