146 THE OENITHOLOGIST. 



to the date of its publication, with a reference to a good figure, and to the 

 page and volume of the British Museum Catalogue, where the species is 

 mentioned. No less than 2,534 species are included in the list. Vol. II. will 

 be devoted to the classification and diagnosis of all the species. 



We learn from the " Animals' Guardian " that the French Society for the 

 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has determined to take active steps to put 

 a stop to the wanton destruction of small birds in France. There are already 

 laws dealing with the matter, but one need only look at the poulterer's shop 

 windows, or read the menus at a table de hote in almost any French department 

 to know that these laws are so many dead letters. No bird is protected, 

 either by the melody of its song or the loveliness of its plumage, and it is 

 often remarked that the woods in France are much more silent in the early 

 spring than those of Great Britain. In many parts of France, however, the 

 farmers complain now that their harvests are endangered by the ravages of 

 the insects on which the wild birds used to feed, and it is beginning to be 

 understood that protection to the birds means protection to the crops. It is 

 now hoped, therefore, that a law may be passed absolutely forbidding the 

 destruction, the sale, or the exportation at any season of the year of any 

 birds recognised as useful to agriculture, and also that it may be made penal 

 to rob or destroy their nests. The promoters of the movement see, how- 

 ever, that their end cannot be attained by repressive measures alone, and that 

 the war against cruelty to animals can be best fought in the schoolroom. 

 They recommend, therefore, that in the primary and secondary schools, the 

 teachers should frequently call attention to the subject, and remind them of 

 the serious loss that agriculture suffers from this wanton slaughter of small 

 birds. 



ADDITIONS TO THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S COLLECTION 

 DURING JULY. 



Two Pratincoles (Glareola pratincola), bred in the Gardens (Superinten- 

 dent's Office) ; two Red Ground-Doves (Geotrygon montand) from S. America, 

 and one blood-breasted Pigeon (Phlegamas cruentata), Philippine Islands, 

 deposited (W. Aviary) ; one Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus), Europe, 

 presented by James Boorne, Esq. (E. Aviary) ; one Crested Pigeon (Ocy- 

 phaps lophotes) from Australia, purchased (West Aviary); one Peregrine 

 Falcon (Falco peregrinus) , captured off the coast of Tierra del Fuego, presented 

 by T. W. Hubble, Esq. (North Aviary) ; one Blue-fronted Amazon (Ckrysotis 

 sestiva) from S. America, presented by A. E. Corsbie, Esq. (Parrot House) ; 

 one Great-billed Rhea {Rhea macrorphyncha) from Brazil, deposited (Emu 

 Paddocks) ; two Glossy Ibises (Plegadis falcinellus) , born in the Menagerie 

 (Heron Aviary) ; three Common Sheldrakes (Tadorna vulpanser), 1 $ , 2$ ) 

 from Europe, purchased (Duck Paddocks) ; one Iceland Falcon (Hiero- 

 falco idandus) from Iceland, deposited (North Aviary) ; two Lettered 



