58 Meetings of Section I V. 



the knowledge of the public generally about birds was one of 

 the best ways of protecting them. He had just returned 

 from a visit to Holland, where many birds which we would 

 give anything to recover, such as Avocets, Black Tailed 

 Grodwits, Oyster Catchers, etc., were walking about the fields 

 and marshes quite close to a house to which he went, and that 

 the children, although they looked for and found the nests, did 

 not disturb them. Indeed, most birds and eggs were pro- 

 tected in Holland during the breeding season, but the 

 Government had the power to grant permission to certain 

 people to take eggs for scientific or other purposes. Such a 

 power was perfectly well recognised also in this country, where 

 the authorities could empower or license certain cnialified 

 persons to perforin acts contrary to the law of the land, for 

 definite beneficent or scientific purposes . He very much wished 

 that it might be possible to give to the owner of the land, 

 property in and power to protect the wild fauna and flora on his 

 estate, in the same way that he possessed his cattle, poultry, 

 flowers, fruit and vegetables. 



Sir John Cockburn, Messrs. Collier and Southwell 

 and the Chairman also spoke, and Mr. Lemon briefly 

 replied. 



[The Meeting then adjourned.] 



Saturday, June 17th. 

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



Mr. Otto Herman read a paper on the " Investigations of 

 the Food of Birds," detailing the work that had been carried 

 on in Hungary since 1900. 



Mr. Talsky (Moravia), stated that he could not agree on 

 all points with Mr. Herman. The conditions in the various 

 countries as regarded anyone species were in the main the same, 

 but the essential point was, whether the bird was a resident 

 or a migrant. In Moravia the Rook (Gorvus frugilegus) was 

 a bird of passage, and therefore welcome, as he was only there 

 from autumn to spring, when his work was entirely beneficial. 

 It was the duty of ornithologists to preserve all birds. In 



