Meetings of Section IV. 49 



SECTION IV. 

 Economic Ornithology and Bird Protection. 

 Tuesday, June 13th. 

 The President, Mr. H. E. Dresser, in the chair. 



Mr. Digby Piggott read a paper " On the Wild Birds 

 Protection Acts, as administered by Orders in Great Britain 

 and Ireland." 



This paper formed a complete and comprehensive history 

 of our Bird Protection Acts from 1868 to the present time. 

 In the latter portion the author gave instances of a few of 

 the anomalies arising from the special powers given to the 

 Local and County Councils, and offered a few suggestions of 

 his own. 



Mr. Southwell, in reply to some remarks in Mr. Piggott's 

 paper, said that the reason there were so few birds on the 

 Schedule of the County of Norfolk in comparison with Suffolk 

 was that the protected areas in the former County covered 

 almost all the species that it was thought desirable specially 

 to protect. Large tracts in the " Broad " district in which 

 the Bearded Tit now bred in increased numbers, and in which 

 various kinds of Ducks had largely increased, which also would 

 form the nesting place of such birds as the Ruff, Bittern, 

 Avocet and Spoonbill, should they return to their former 

 homes, were effectually protected. Virtually the whole of the 

 foreshore of the county was carefully guarded, greatly to the 

 benefit of the Greater and Lesser Terns, Sheld Ducks, and 

 some others which had largely benefited thereby. The close 

 times in the two counties, which formerly differed, thereby 

 causing considerable confusion, were now assimilated, and in 

 obtaining an extension of the close time to the 1st September 

 the various species of Ducks were not included for the reason 

 that they would all have left the breeding grounds, to the 

 destruction of flapper-shooting. The object of the Norfolk 

 County Council had been not to load the Schedule with birds 

 perfectly able to take care of themselves, but carefully to 

 protect rare and local species, and those whose increased 



