BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



NEWS FROM BRANCHES. 



A MOST successful meeting was held at the Belfast 

 Museum, on April ist, to inaugurate a Belfast 

 Branch of the Society, started through the efforts 

 of Miss Ethel Magee, of Malone Park. Mr. W. H. 

 Paterson, M.R.I. A., presided, and moved, "That 

 this meeting, being convinced of the inhumanity 

 practised upon millions of birds in order to obtain 

 their feathers for millinery purposes, and being also 

 anxious to check the destruction of our own wild 

 birds by wanton shooting and bird-nesting, is of 

 opinion that a branch of the Society for the Pro- 

 tection of Birds should be formed in Belfast." 

 They could not, he said, extend their hand to 

 Florida to prevent the destruction ot the beautiful 

 little egrets, nor to the Straits Settlements, or to 

 Australia, to save the birds from destruction ; but 

 they could discourage the demand, and, when the 

 demand ceased, the destruction of the birds would 

 cease also. It was a matter for every lady to think 

 out for herself, and in Belfast he believed the ladies 

 had thought it out pretty well. 



The resolution was carried unanimously ; and an 

 influential Committee has since been appointed as 

 follows : — President, The Countess of Shaftesbury ; 

 Vice-Presidents, Lady Dunleath, Lady Henderson, 

 Lady Patterson, Mrs. Allan (Stormount), the Lord 

 Bishop of Down and Connor and Dromore, the 

 Ven. Archdeacon Bristow, and Mr. W. H. Patter- 

 son, M.R.I A. ; Committee, Mrs. John Bristow, 

 Mrs. Dunkerley, Mrs. Fennell, Mrs. Robert Patter- 

 son, Mrs. Porter, Mrs. Purves, Mrs. Alex. Wilson, 

 Miss Bruce, Miss Bristow, Miss Connor (Bangor), 

 Miss Despard, Miss Kidd, Miss Eva Pirn, Miss 

 Praeger ; Rev. W. H. Dundas, B.D. ; Mr. Robert 

 Patterson, Mr. Crossley Patterson ; Hon. Treasurer, 

 Mr. Egmont Praeger ; Hon. Secretary, Miss Ethel 

 E. Magee. 



SOME twenty of the leading millinery firms in 

 Southport co-operated in the show of plumeless 

 millinery arranged by the Hon. Sec. of the 

 Southport branch, Mrs. Edwin Walker ; and for 

 two days in April their shop windows were filled 

 with a brilliant display of spring millinery trimmed, 

 as the card shown in each establishment pro- 

 claimed, "without destruction of bird life." The 

 show attracted much attention and admiration. 

 The annual meeting of the branch was held on 

 June 17th. 



The Hon. Secretaryship of the Lostwithiel Branch 

 has been kindly undertaken by Mrs. Hony. 



LECTURES, 1903. 



Lectures, illustrated by the Society's slides, have 

 been given as follows since the issue of No. 1 of 

 Notes and News : — 



March 27th, Ewhurst, Rev. A. Clark Kennedy ; 

 March 30th, Westerham, Mrs. Nelson ; April ist, 

 Malvern Wells, Mr. A. H. Stable ; April 2nd and 

 3rd, Havant, Mr. Becston ; April 2nd, Winchester, 

 Miss Williams; April 14th, Royal Victoria Hall, 



S.W., Sir John Cockburn ; April 15th, Glasson, 

 Rev. C. Golland ; April 21st, Wickham, Miss 

 Farquhar ; May 15th, HamDStead Scientific 

 Society, Mr. B. Martin ; May 18th, Cable Street, 

 E., Rev. C. HinsclifF; May 29th, Grayshott, Miss 

 Hart-Davis ; June 15th, Haileybury,|Mr. Kennedy. 



IN THE COURTS. 



The Barnard Castle Bench on April 29th imposed a fine of 

 is. each and costs on two egg collectors, Charles Milburn, 

 of Middlesbrough, and Claude Braithwaite, of Seaton 

 Carew, for taking tawny owl's eggs in FJatts Wood, on 

 the Durham side of the River Tees. The accused explained 

 that they came to the place especially for the eggs, having 

 been told by a certain solicitor where to find the nest. 

 They thought they were on the Yorkshire side. (York- 

 shire would do well to take the hint and protect owls' 

 eggs. The North Riding Order is a most inadequate 

 one.) 



The Leeds stipendiary magistrate gave judgment on 

 April 20th in a case in which Mrs. Mary E. Richardson 

 was charged under the Wild Animals in Captivity Act 

 with causing unnecessary suffering to a parrot by leaving 

 it without food for a number of days. The defendant, 

 going from home for a holiday, placed in the cage a 

 quantity of seed, which, if given in daily portions, would 

 have been enough to last the whole period, but given in 

 this way was exhausted in a few days, and the bird would 

 probably have died but for the intervention of an inspector 

 of the R.S.P.C.A. As there was no intentional cruelty, 

 and defendant was greatly distressed by the result of her 

 thoughtlessness, she was only directed to pay the costs of 

 the prosecution. 



A worse case was heard at Belper on May 14th. Walter 

 Selby, a miner, left in his house four wild birds caged, 

 while away for a fortnight, and a policeman getting in at 

 a window found three starved to death and the fourth 

 only just alive. Fined 5s. and 19s. costs. 



PICTURE POSTCARDS. 



Now ready, in packets of one dozen (four assorted 

 designs), is. a packet. Single card i^d., post free. 

 No. 1. The Magic Circle. No. 3. The Birds' Pillar Box. 

 No. 2. Woodland Notes. No. 4. At My Window. 



" Quaint and original." — Court yournal. 



"Very dainty." — Birmingham Post. 



"Will be welcomed by lovers of birds." — Notts 

 Guardian. 



Published by the Society for the Protection of 



Birds, 3, Hanover Square, W. 



Next Issue. — Arrangements are being made for the 

 issue of a Double Number of Bird Notes and News, 

 to be ready on October ist. 



SUBSCRIPTION. 



Bird Notes and News will be sent post free to any 

 address for is. per annum, payable in advance. 



To Associates of the Society subscribing 5s. and 

 upwards per annum it will be forwarded gratis and 

 post free. 



Printed by Withekby & Co., 326, High Holborn, W.C., and 

 published by the .Society FOR the Protection of Birds, 3, 

 Hanover Square, London, W., of whom copies may be obtained, 

 price 2d. each. 



