50 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



manager, for having aided and abetted him. 

 The bird was ordered to be given up and 

 handed over to Charterhouse School Museum. 

 A second osprey, said to have been seen at 

 Cranleigh, is reported to have resorted to safer 

 quarters at Peper Harow, where Lord Midleton 

 gave strict orders for its protection. 



But for the action of the County Councils 

 Association in recommending for general pro- 

 tection certain non-scheduled birds, it is probable 

 that the Osprey might never have been placed 

 on the fully protected list in southern counties ; 

 Surrey indeed took this precautionary step only 

 last year (1903). And again, but for Lord 

 Jersey's Act of 1902, framed by the Society for 

 the Protection of Birds, the dead bird could not 

 have been confiscated but would have remained 

 — a prize worth ten times the amount of the fine 

 levied — in the hands of the law-breaker who 

 killed it. 



The history of the Osprey in Surrey is melan- 

 choly reading. Its appearance was first recorded 

 by Gilbert White at Frensham, the neighbour- 

 hood in which it has been more often seen than 

 anywhere else in the county. The subsequent 

 record, as given in Mr. BucknilPs Birds of 

 Surrey, is as follows :— 



1 84 1. Frensham Pond. Killed. 

 1843. Hammer Pond, Farnham, Killed. 

 (Date unknown.) Abbots Pond, Frensham. 

 Killed. 



1852. Milford House, Godalming. Killed. 



(Another seen.) 



1853. Weybridge. Killed. 



1868. Gatton. (Believed to have been an 

 Osprey, but not " preserved.") 



1881. East Molesey. Captured — disabled after 

 having been severely injured by 

 shooting at Maiden. 



1 88 1. Warren Pond, Puttenham. Killed. 



1884. Frensham Pond. Seen. 



1885. Little Frensham Pond. Killed. 



1889. Richmond Park. Subsequently killed 

 at Barnes. 



1897. Frensham. Apparently escaped. 



1898. Kew and Penn Ponds, Richmond. Seen. 



1899. Cobham. "Accidentally shot." 



It is to be hoped that the specimen of which 

 Charterhouse has now gained possession will 

 have its history clearly set forth on a label, so 

 as to prove a useful object lesson to visitors to 

 the Museum, 



BIRD PROTECTION IN INDIA. 



The interesting and very satisfactory report issued 

 (August, 1904) by Mr. W. Jesse, Hon. Sec. of the 

 Indian Branch of the Society for the Protection 

 of Birds, deals with the plume trade and the game 

 laws. 



" It is no small satisfaction " (the report states) 

 " to be able to feel that the Society's Branch in 

 India has borne its share with such important 

 bodies as the Game Preservation Associations of 

 the Nilgiris, Mysore, Rangoon, etc., in bringing 

 to the notice both of the public and the authorities 

 the need that exists for further action in the matter 

 of preserving our Indian fauna. Subscriptions 

 showed a considerable increase over the previous 

 twelve months, due in a great measure to the 

 generous donations of H.H. the Maharajah of 

 Mysore, H.H. the Maharajah of Kuch Behar, and 

 the Nilgiri Game Preservation Association 



" The result of the Act recently passed by Lord 

 Curzon's Government appears on the whole to 

 be satisfactory ; nevertheless, there is no doubt 

 whatever that efforts are being made — and unfor- 

 tunately with some measure of success — to evade 



its restrictions Communications with the 



Customs authorities pointed to the probability of 

 the post being used for the purpose. It is to be 

 hoped that the Postal officials may be able to aid 



the Customs in this matter A circular 



letter sent round some months ago elicited the 

 fact that many feathers and skins are supposed 

 to find their way out of India through French 

 or Portuguese ports, but no definite information 

 was forthcoming 



" A correspondent in Assam writes regarding 

 the destruction of peacocks in certain districts, due 

 to a demand for the feathers. It would appear 

 from his account that in the Darrang district, 

 where it was formerly abundant, the bird has been 

 practically exterminated." 



The report goes on to speak of the Government 

 Bill for the Better Preservation of Game and Fish, 

 and the need for checking the destruction by shi- 

 karries ; and the help of Mr. Spence, Mr. Comber, 

 and Mr. Laxmidas is heartily acknowledged. Any 

 financial assistance from those interested in the 

 birds of our Indian Empire will be welcomed by 

 Mr. William Jesse, Meerut College, Meerut. 



The Ligue des Oiseaux of Switzerland, founded 

 by Mile. Lagier, has, by permission, adopted the 

 postcard design No. 5, published by the Society 

 for the Protection of Birds, substituting for 

 Browning's words an appropriate verse in French. 



