BIBB NOTES ANB NEWS. 



83 



no longer be lawfully obtained in the southern 

 ocean islands, no efficient substitute can be 

 found, it is only too probable that it will be ob- 

 tained from these more southern Penguins that 

 so far have lived in peace. That they and their 

 kind may continue so to live and escape the 

 destruction which has before now led to the 

 extinction of equally abundant and unhappily 

 defenceless creatures, is the sincere hope of 

 everyone who is reasonably interested in the 

 life of the birds and beasts around us. 



COUNCIL MEETING. 



A MEETING of the Council of the Society was 

 held at No. 3, Hanover Square, on July 21st. 

 Present : Mr. Montagu Sharpe (Chairman), Mr. 

 Ernest Bell, Sir John Cockburn, Mr. H. E. 

 Dresser, Mr. W. H. Hudson, Rev. A. L. Hussey, 

 Mr. F. King, Mr. Hastings Lees, Mrs. Lemon, 

 Mr. Meade- Waldo, Mrs. Owen Visger, and the 

 Hon. Secretary. The appointment of the Rev. 

 Allan Ellison as Hon. Secretary for Mid-Herts 

 was confirmed. Five new Fellows were elected, 

 viz. : Mr. J. Schwann, Wimbledon ; Rev. S. A. 

 Vardon, Tunbridge Wells ; Lady Samuelson, 

 Maidenhead ; Mr. A. Culshawe, Liverpool ; Mrs. 

 Marshall, Haslemere. One Life Member and 

 twenty-eight Members were elected. 



Satisfactory reports were received as to the 

 Watching at Dungeness ; and with regard to 

 Lundy Island, it was stated that the gannets had 

 unfortunately not laid, but that the Watcher had 

 prevented egg-lifting by visitors, and two pair of 

 peregrines and one pair of buzzards had nested. 

 It was decided that a badge should be provided 

 for the Watchers. Discussion took place with 

 regard to the need for more systematic watching 

 at Foula, the Fame Islands, the Island of Noss, 

 Isle of Wight, Walney Island, and Hickling 

 Broad ; and a communication from Mr. J. H. 

 Buxton was read as to the destruction of owls 

 and jays, an i want of protection for birds in the 

 New Forest. 



The destruction of swallows in France was again 

 under consideration. A subscriber, who desires to 

 remain anonymous, had offered £50 towards the 

 expenses of an investigation into the matter, and 

 it was agreed that efforts should be made to pursue 

 the enquiry. 



It was reported that the International Agricul- 

 tural Conference at Rome in Mav last was attended 



by delegates from thirty-eight Governments, and 

 that a permanent International Institute of Agri- 

 culture would probably be the result. The hope 

 was expressed that the part which birds play in 

 the world's agricultural economy would not be 

 overlooked in the research work carried out by 

 such an Institute. 



Autumn Conference, 1905. 



A Conference of Hon. Local Secretaries and 

 others interested in the work of the Royal Society 

 for the Protection of Birds will be held at Morley 

 Hall, George Street, Hanover Square, W., on 

 Friday afternoon, November 10th. Papers have 

 been already promised on " Bird Sanctuaries in 

 London Parks," " How we Attracted Birds to 

 a New Garden," " Bird Catching," " Individual 

 Effort," etc. 



Cards for the meeting will be sent to any 

 Fellows, Members, or Associates of the Society 

 desiring to be present, and suggestions of subjects 

 for discussion will be welcome, and will be carefully 

 considered if forwarded without delay to the office 

 of the Society, 3, Hanover Square, London, W. 



COUNTY COUNCIL ORDERS. 



Carnarvon, Sept. 2nd. B.C.E.F. Extends the 

 Close Time to October 1st for certain species, 

 makes additions to the Schedule, and protects the 

 goldfinch, kingfisher, and owls all the year. 



Haddington, July 7th. Extends the Close Time 

 for all birds on the Bass Rock and other islands to 

 Nov. 1. (We hope to refer to this very satisfactory 

 Order at greater length in Bird Notes and News 

 for December.) 



Inverness (Island of St. Kilda), May 18th, E. 



Westmeath, May nth. D. 



A WORD FOR THE SPARROW. 



Captain Hutton, President of the Australasian 

 Ornithologists' Union, writes (June, 1905) from the 

 Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand : 



"A few years ago the horse bot-fly was intro- 

 duced into New Zealand. It was thought to have 

 been brought by a troop of circus horses from 

 California. However this may be, it spread rapidly 

 and caused the death of so many horses that the 

 farmers in New Zealand were in great alarm. 

 But the despised sparrow took the matter in hand. 

 It settled on the horse-droppings, devoured the 

 maggots, and has now, I believe, reduced the pest 

 to quite moderate dimensions." 



