SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



3i9 



peckers, wryneck (cuckoo's mate or snake bird), is 

 prohibited throughout the County of Northampton. 

 — Dated January 15th, 1896. 



Northumberland. — From March 24th to August 

 nth for all birds except the following: — Dotterel, 

 eider duck, guillemot gull (not black-backed gull), 

 kittiwake, oyster catcher, puffin, razorbill, sea 

 parrot, sea swallow, and tun (the close time for 

 these birds being March 1st to August 31st). 



Oxfordshire. — Prohibiting the taking or destroy- 

 ing of the eggs of the owl in any part of the County 

 of Oxford. — Dated March 22nd, 1895. 



Shetland. — Prohibiting the taking or destroying 

 of the eggs of the following species of wild birds, 

 viz. : white-tailed or sea eagle, great skua or 

 bonxie, arctic or Richardson's skua, whimbrel or 

 tang-whaup, red-necked phalarope, red-necked 

 diver, or rain bird, or ember goose. 



Somersetshire. — The Wild Birds Protection 

 Act, 1880, shall apply within the whole of the 

 County of Somerset, to the kestrel, the merlin, the 

 hobby, the buzzard and the osprey, as if those 

 species were included in the Schedule to that Act. 

 — Dated July 27th, 1895. 



Southampton. — The taking or the destroying of 

 the eggs of common buzzards, honey buzzards, king- 

 fishers, Montagu's harriers, nightingales, owls and 

 woodpeckers is prohibited in any part of the County 

 of Southampton. — Dated September 7th, 1895. 



Staffordshire. — I. — The taking or destroying 

 of the eggs of the following species of wild bird 

 is prohibited throughout the entire County of 

 Stafford, viz. : the goldfinch or thistlefinch, 

 buzzard, merlin, kestrel, hobby, osprey, kingfisher, 

 nightingale, nightjar (fern owl, goatsucker or night 

 hawk) ; all owls, nuthatch, sandpiper (summer 

 snipe) ; all woodpeckers, wryneck (cuckoo bird, 

 snake bird), curlew or whaup, great crested grebe, 

 loon or diver. II. — The Wild Birds Protection 

 Act, 18S0, shall apply within the whole of the 

 County of Stafford to the spotted flycatcher, pied 

 flycatcher, tree creeper, sand martin, martin, 

 swallow, wagtail and swift, as if those species were 

 included in the Schedule to the Act. — Dated 

 November 2Sth, 1S95. 



Suffolk, East. — The taking or destroying of 

 wild birds' eggs is prohibited in the years 1896, 

 1897 ar >d 1898, in the following places within the 

 administrative County of East Suffolk — namely : 

 the seacoast, beach, foreshore, sandhills, saltings 

 or salt marshes, situate between the sea or estuaries 

 and the land side of the sea or estuarial wall, 

 embankment, ditch, fence, or other artificial or 

 natural boundary separating the same from the 

 cultivated land, from the north side of the River 

 Blyth to Landguard Point (excluding the estuary 

 of the Aide above the ferry at Slaughden Quay, 

 Aldeburgh).— Dated December 24th, 1895. 



Westmorland. — The taking or destroying of 



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the eggs of the barn owl, brown or wood owl, long- 

 eared owl, short-eared owl, common buzzard, 

 merlin, kestrel, goldfinch, black-headed gull, 

 peregrine falcon, kingfisher, dotterel, raven, heron, 

 bittern, woodcock, dipper or water ouzel and 

 golden plover, is prohibited in any part of the 

 County of Westmorland for five years, from June 

 25th, 1895.— Dated Mav 2 9 tn . ^gs- 



Yorkshire, E. Riding. — Prohibiting the taking 

 or destroying of wild birds' eggs on the promontory 

 of Spurn, including Kilnsea, Warren, south of the 

 line taken by the road leading from the village of 

 Kilnsea towards the site of the old village of 

 Kilnsea, for a period of five years from March 31st, 

 J S95. — Dated April 1st, 1895. 



Yorkshire, E. Riding. — The time during which 

 the killing, wounding and taking of wild birds 

 are prohibited under the Wild Birds Protec- 

 tion Act, 1880, shall be varied in the East 

 Riding of Yorkshire, to be from March 1st to 

 August 15th in each year. — Dated May 10th, 1895. 



In addition to the above, variations in the close 

 time have been made as follows : — Hertfordshire 

 and Middlesex (County Council area) , from February 

 1st to August 31st ; Durham, March 1st to August 

 31st ; Yorkshire (North Riding), March 1st to August 

 nth; Essex, March 15th to August 1st; Hunting- 

 donshire, Isle of Ely, Liberty of Peterborough 

 and Lincolnshire, March 15th to August 31st. 



Penalties. — Under the Wild Birds Protection 

 Act, of 1880, all birds are protected during close 

 time, but they are divided into two distinct classes, 

 in order that two differing sets of penalties may be 

 applied against offenders. In the higher division, 

 the maximum fine is £1 and costs, and the birds 

 have absolute protection during close time (March 1st 

 to August 1st, with variations in different parts of 

 the country). These birds are named in Schedule 

 of Act ; the lark added by the Act of 1S81, and 

 certain species have been added by the foregoing 

 orders. In the lower division the maximum fine is 

 5s., with absolute protection, except against the 

 owners and occupiers of land, who may, on their 

 own property, destroy birds not included in the 

 Schedule. Under the Act of 1894, "Any person 

 who shall take or destroy, or incite any person to 

 take or destroy (a) the eggs of any wild birds 

 within an area specified in the Order ; or (b) the 

 eggs of any species of wild bird named in the 

 Order shall, on conviction before any two justices 

 of the peace in England, Wales, or Ireland, or 

 before the sheriff in Scotland, forfeit and pay for 

 every egg so taken or destroyed a sum not exceed- 

 ing one pound." Offenders under these Acts 

 refusing to give full Christian and surnames, with 

 correct address, or giving such falsely, are liable to 

 additional penalties not exceeding ten shillings and 

 costs. We have not any information as to the 

 application of this Act in Ireland. 



