64 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



IN THE COURTS. 



KENT. — At Mailing on February 13th, 1905, three 

 men named Dowland, Thorne, and Lane, were 

 summoned for taking wild birds at Aylesford, and 

 Dowland and Lane were further charged with 

 causing unnecessary suffering to a linnet. Dowland, 

 who came from Chatham, had nets laid for bird- 

 catching, with a decoy linnet attached by a string. 

 Lane and Thorne declared they were only looking 

 on, but Lane admitted holding the string. The 

 Chairman (Mr. R. Norton) said the business was 

 neither manly nor sportsmanlike, and the Bench 

 were determined to uphold the spirit of the Acts 

 and do their best to protect these poor little birds. 

 Dowling was fined £\ and costs for the first offence 

 and his tackle confiscated, and 3s. 6d. and costs in 

 the second case ; and Lane was fined 5s. and costs 

 by way of a lesson. Dowland said it was his first 

 venture in bird-catching and should be his last, a 

 resolution the Bench cordially commended. 



Middlesex.— At Uxbridge on January 23rd, a 

 bird-catcher was fined 5s. in each case for pinioning 

 birds and for using nets at Hayes, the nets to be 

 destroyed. He had three decoy birds pegged down 

 to a net. Defendant said he had only lately come 

 to Middlesex, and where he came from they were 

 allowed to catch birds. 



Metropolitan Police District. — A case 

 bearing on starling shoots was heard at Woolwich 

 on January 27th, Charles Spriggs, of Deptford, 

 being fined 40s. and costs on each summons for 

 having 88 recently-taken starlings in his possession 

 and for causing unnecessary suffering to 40 of the 

 birds. He had 48 dead birds in a bag and said 

 they had been shot at a match ; and also 40 birds 

 in a cage 18 in. by 10 in. by 7 in., three of which 

 were dead from suffocation and others exhausted. 

 The magistrate held that seven days' possession 

 did not take the birds out of the category of 

 "recently caught." Defendant's solicitor declared 

 such a ruling would put a stop to shooting at all 

 places from Hurlingham downwards. Mr. Kettle 

 said it would perhaps be a good thing if it did. 



At LAMBETH on January 6th, Charles Griston, 

 a Walworth bird dealer, was ordered to pay fines 

 and costs amounting to £4 14s. for cruelty to 

 birds. Inspector Green, of the R.S.P.C.A., visited 

 the shop on Christmas Day and found most of the 

 birds in small cages and in a most filthy condition. 

 Nine freshly-caught skylarks were in a cage about 

 30 in. long and 10 in. high, four of them dying ; 

 and two greenfinches, one dead and the other 

 dying, in a filthy cage 1 5 in. by 6 in. There were 

 also linnets and blackbirds and thrushes in small 

 dirty cages. He bought a thrush and cage for 

 is. 9cl., but the bird was a mere skeleton, and died 

 before he reached his home at Tooting. 



ESSEX. — In a case of cruelty to three decoy 

 starlings, two of which had dislocated legs, while 

 all were unable to stand in consequence of the 

 injuries inflicted by a string fastening them to the 

 net, the Mayor of Southend on January 23rd let 

 off defendant with a nominal fine of 5s. and costs, 

 saying that proceedings were taken under the Wild 



Animals in Captivity Act, " which had just come 

 into force." (News seems to take some time to 

 reach Southend ; the Act came into force in 1900.) 



Staffordshire.— W. Sadler, farmer, of Hobble 

 End, Great Wyrley, was fined 20s. and costs for 

 sowing his field with poisoned wheat on Sunday, 

 November 6th. He said it was done to kill the 

 birds, and he had picked up over 200 dead birds. 

 The magistrate remarked that the proceeding was 

 not only contrary to the law, but a far-reaching 

 danger. 



m 



COUNTY COUNCIL ORDERS. 



The following County Council Orders have been 

 issued since January 1st, 1905 : 



Lincoln (County Borough), January 23rd. 

 B C E F. Identical with the Order for the Lindsey 

 Division of Lincolnshire. 



East Sussex, February 15th. A B C E F S. No 

 change from previous Order except in the pro- 

 tecting of the Brown and Green Linnet throughout 

 the year within an area between Hastings on 

 the east and the county boundary on the west, 

 bounded on the north by Ninfiekl, Laughton, and 

 Hurstpierpoint. 



Leicestershire, February 28th. B E F. No 

 change from previous Order. 



[A full list of the Orders in force appears in an 

 Appendix to the Society's Annual Report.] 



NEW BOOKS ON BIRDS. 



Bird Life and Bird Lore. By R. Bosworth Smith. 



Illustrated. (John Murray.) 10s. 6d. net. 



Chapters on the homes and haunts, courtships, nests, 

 notes, local and family attachments, and migrations of 

 birds, written, " first, to communicate as far as possible, 

 to others some portion of the enduring happiness which 

 the love of birds has given to me ; and, secondly, to do 

 all that lies in my power towards the preservation of all 

 birds, especially of those interesting and beautiful species 

 which are habitually persecuted." 

 British Bird Life. By W. Percival Westell. 



(Fisher Unwin.) 5s. 



An account, in the popular style, of British -breeding 

 species, arranged alphabetically. Preface by the Right 

 Hon. Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bart., M.P., and illus- 

 trations. 



Next Issue. — The next Number of Bird Notes 

 and News will be ready on July 1st, 1905. 



Reading Cases for Bird Notes and News can be 

 obtained from the office at a cost of is., including 

 postage. They will be found very useful to keep the 

 numbers together, and also for use in Public Libraries. 



Bird Notes and News will be sent post free to any 

 address for is. per annum, payable in advance. 



To Members of the Society subscribing 5s. and 

 upwards per annum it will be forwarded gratis and 

 post free. 



Printed by Witherivv & Co., 326, Higli Holborn, W.C., and 

 published by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 

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

 price 2d. each, 



