HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
15 
A police-sergeant said he found a quantity 
of bread cut into small pieces scattered over the 
front and back of Mrs. Stuart's house in Engle- 
field Road, Knut Hill, and he collected half a 
pound of these pieces. When he spoke to defen- 
dant she said she had fed the birds for years and 
would continue to do so. 
In her defence defendant said she had fed 
the birds for nearly 73 years, and was a member 
of all sorts of bird societies. All she did was to 
use the bottom crusts of the loaves, which were 
frequently unclean, and also crusts which she 
could not eat. Bread was not wasted if you gave 
it to your fellow creatures, whether they went on 
two legs or four. 
The magistrate imposed a fine of £2. 
The defendant wept, and said she would en- 
deavour to get the money from her lawyer. 
GENERAL NOTES. 
By Joh\ D. HaiytlyiW 
THAT an Otter weighing nearly 30 lb. has been 
shot in the River Ouse near Lewes. It is be- 
lieved to be the biggest ever captured in the 
district. 
I should like to ask the noble (?) sportsman 
what crime the unfortunate animal had commit- 
ted, and why it was denied the right to live. 
THAT a Comorant was observed resting and div- 
ing in the Thames midway between Westmin- 
ster and Lambeth Bridges. 
THAT Mr. David Ezra, Kyd Street, Calcutta, 
under date 24th April, in sending his subscrip- 
tion, "Wishes 'Hamlvn's Magazine' everv suc- 
cess," for which I cordiallv thank him. 
THAT a Pike weighing 43 lb. was caught before 
breakfast on Saturday morning by an angler 
named Septimus Tralore, of Sheffield, while 
fishing in deep water in Boston Canal. He re- 
sorted to a common practice among anglers by 
baiting his hook with a newly-hatched chicken. 
It took him an hour to land the fish. 
THAT 36,000 people visited the Zoo, 11,000 
Hampton Court Palace, and 300,000 Hamp- 
stead Heath, Parliament Hill Fields and Gold- 
ers Green, last Bank Holiday. 
THAT Sir Charles Brooke, the Rajah of Sara- 
wak, died lately. The late Rajah was a constant 
visitor to St. George's Street. His aviaries 
were at Cirencester, where he had a wonderful 
collection of Birds, Pheasants and Waterfowl. 
THAT the old American Bull Bison presented by 
the Duke of Bedford in 1902 to the Regents 
Park Collection is dead. His weight was 1,372 
lb. " 
THAT "The Field" states, on the consumption 
of Sea Bird Eggs : — 
"The Home Office calls attention to the fact 
that the eggs of the following sea-birds which 
breed in this country in considerable numbers 
are suitable for food : — Black-headed gull, herr- 
ing gull, lesser black-backed gull, greater 
black-backed gull, common guillemot, razor- 
bill, and puffin. The eggs of the black-headed 
gull in particular are of excellent flavour. The 
breeding season has already begun, and will 
continue for the next few weeks. In some coun- 
ties restrictions have been imposed on the tak- 
ing of the eggs of birds belonging to these 
species. The Home Secretary, after consulta- 
tion with the local authorities of Northumber- 
land, Yorkshire (East Riding), Devon, Glamor- 
gan, Carmarthen, Cheshire, Durham, and Staf- 
fordshire — counties in which are some of the 
most important breeding places, and in which 
restrictions had been imposed — has made orders 
suspending these restrictions in these counties 
with the exception of a few special areas pro- 
tected as egg sanctuaries) till June 21. In most 
counties of England and W'ales (except for some 
special areas protected as egg sanctuaries) and 
in the whole of Scotland and Ireland (with the 
exception of Copeland Islands, co. Down, and 
the Saltee and Keeragh Islands, co. W T exford) 
no restrictions on the taking of these eggs are 
in force. 
It may be suggested that June 21 is too 
late a date to fix for the taking of eggs; for if 
the birds are not suffered to hatch their young 
by that date, the chances are they will not lay 
any more eggs this season. In that case there 
would be a risk of some of the nesting places 
being abandoned, and, according to the old 
adage, we should be " killing the goose for the 
sake of the golden eggs." The end of the first 
week in June would be quite late enough, and 
many eggs would even then be incubated. 
THAT a Demidoffs Galago has been presented to 
the Zoological Gardens, Regents Pork, by Dr. 
H. G. F. Spurrell, who procured it from a native 
near Dunkwa, in Ashanti. 
