123



You should let him have any mice you can catch, and Sparrows’ eggs

when you can get them; also raw meat twice a w r eek.


A. G. BuTEER.



THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS.



A Bill has been introduced into Parliament “to Consolidate and amend

the Raw relating to the Protection of Wild Birds.”


The chief alteration in the law which would he effected by this bill is

that in future all wild birds over the whole country would be protected from

the ist of February till the end of August, with the exception of species

exempted from protection by order of the Secretary of State made on the

application of a, County Council. In other words, at present all birds with

certain exceptions may be killed, after the passing of this bill all birds with

certain exceptions would be protected.



I shall be pleased to send a print of the bill, on loan, to any member

interested in the subject.



Horatio R. Fieemer.



THE LICENSING OF BIRD-CATCHERS.


Sir, —With regard to the questions you ask in reference to the above

subject, I think the cost of the annual license should not be less than 21/-

for catchers and dealers, and that the foreign bird agents should be licensed

as well as the dealers.


A dealer should be defined thus, I think : Anyone who buys birds

wholesale to sell in a shop, also anyone who hawks birds round from door

to door to sell again, and any amateur who catches birds to sell again should

pa}- catcher’s license and dealer’s license.


With reference to giving reasonable space for birds, I think catchers

and dealers should be compelled to give space according to the size of the

bird. For instance: birds 6 inches and under, from tip of beak to end of

tail, should be given by the catcher and dealer 6 cubic inches of space each

when crowded together, and 12 cubic inches when in the hands of customers ;

and birds between 6 and 9 inches long, 9 cubic inches of space when caged

together by catcher and dealer, or 18 cubic inches when in the hands of a

customer. If this were done, cage-makers would be compelled to make

their cages the right dimensions, otherwise they would be unsaleable.


Arthur Jones.



Sir, —If the bird-protection leagues believe that any good is being

done by all the restrictions that they are putting upon the liberty of

Englishmen, let them at least not over-reach themselves by ludicrous

severity. Let a license be imposed upon professional catchers if they like,

and, while they are about it, let it be £50 a year : it will be no more pro¬

hibitive than a guinea. As to imposing a license upon private persons, that

is all nonsense : who can decide whether the owner intends to keep his



