72 



BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



these days it is not very easy of access. In the 

 fifties this gentleman, himself an accomplished 

 naturalist, once visited the rock, in company with 

 friends, and, the weather being fine and calm, they 

 spentanight there among the sea-birds. It happened 

 that there had been a wreck in the vicinity, and a 

 quantity of wreckage was floating about, including 

 some large cases of candles. The gannets, busy 

 with domestic matters and on the look-out for 

 building material, had observed the promising 

 stick-like appearance of this treasure trove, and 

 accordingly had ingeniously used wax candles for 

 the construction of their nests. Many odd sub- 

 stances have been worked into bird nests, but this 

 is probably the first instance on record of the 

 employment of candles. 



The Protection Acts. 



Mr. T. Helmer, a member of the North Riding 

 County Council, has ascertained from the local 

 police authorities that the total number of con- 

 victions under the Wild Birds Protection Act in the 

 Riding for the five years ended December 31, 1904, 

 was three. This not unnaturally suggests to him 

 that the Act cannot be very strictly enforced (it 

 may also be remarked, in passing, that the North 

 Riding Order is itself an exceedingly poor one), 

 and writing to the Yorkshire Post on the question 

 of giving effect to the law, he well says : — 



" This, I fear, never will be done until lovers of 

 wild birds individually or collectively can be in- 

 duced to bombard the County Councils through 

 their representatives, by insisting on the law being 

 more rigorously enforced. To me the singular 

 thing is that an Act passed for the protection of 

 wild birds, and which was never intended for the 

 benefit of the few, but for the pleasure and instruc- 

 tion of the whole population — and for none more 

 than the inhabitants of our big towns — should be 

 looked upon with so much indifference, and even 

 with suspicion. If our Education Committees 

 could be induced to enlarge their views, the rising 

 generation would soon find themselves in a new 

 world of delight— seeing the vast numbers of folk 

 from the big centres of industry who now spread 

 themselves over country districts during the sum- 

 mer holidays. At the moment our educationist 

 Gradgrinds are too much in evidence for us. By- 

 and-by we may perhaps emancipate ourselves and 

 our children from their influence. And a happy 

 day it must be for the latter when the fact comes to 

 their knowledge that there are other things in 

 nature beyond the lion, the tiger, the bear, and the 

 ostrich which still pictorially adorn so many of our 

 schools." 



At present, it is said, Leeds workmen find it pay 

 to leave work for a day and patronise an excursion 

 train into the country in order to go birdcatching. 



Birds as Tree Planters. 



In the Speaker for May 27th Mr. W. H. Hudson 

 tells how, in one case certainly and in many others 

 inferentially, the elder-tree has become a tree of 

 Downland, although its feeble branches and frail 

 leaves ill fit it for struggling against the winds and 

 storms of an open hill country. The wheatear, the 

 bird of this open land, frequently makes its nest in 

 rabbit burrows, and the wheatear, like most small 

 birds, is partial to elder-berries. After feeding on 

 the berries of some distant tree it sows the seeds 

 in the loose earth of the burrows, where they take 

 root and grow ; and an elder tree or clump of 

 trees is the result, to the benefit of succeeding 

 birds. A similar case is afforded by the blackberry - 

 bushes in New Zealand. One of the most serious 

 charges against small birds in that country is that 

 they carry the seeds of the blackberry into the 

 rough bush country and poor land, and thus cause 

 the extensive spread of what is there considered a 

 troublesome plant. So that while the blackbird is 

 shot in England for eating cultivated fruit, in the 

 Antipodes he is killed for planting one of the most 

 delicious of wild fruit. 



From Rhodesia. 



A Rhodesian resident, who has seen the reference 

 in the Society's annual report to the decrease of 

 swallows, writes that he has noticed the dwindling 

 away in the number of these birds in South Africa 

 for several seasons. He adds : 



"When one thinks of the enormous destruction 

 of farm and garden produce year after year, and 

 the almost life and death struggle against all kinds 

 of insect pests everywhere in the civilized world, 

 it makes one stand aghast to find men that are 

 supposed to be guided by reason and common- 

 sense, engaged in deliberately exterminating some 

 of our best friends. I have planted out fruit trees 

 for the little birds alone, just to draw them to the 

 place. Five-pound notes are not plentiful with me, 

 but I would not for five pounds injure a feather in 

 the plumage of insect-eating birds." 



Hurlingham. 



A very largely-attended meeting of the members 

 was held on May 20th, when, on the motion of 

 Lord Ancaster, seconded by Sir H. P. Ewart, it 

 was agreed "that Pigeon shooting at Hurlingham 

 be discontinued from December 31st, 1905." A 

 majority of 158 votes was obtained over and 

 beyond the two-thirds majority necessary by the 

 rules. If other clubs follow suit public-house 

 starling-shoots may also become unfashionable. 

 It may be remembered that recently a solicitor for 

 the defence in a starling-club case which was 



