SUPPLEMENT TO BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



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Lectures and Lecturers. 



The need for more lectures, to advertise the 

 Society, to diffuse a knowledge of bird-life and of 

 bird-protection laws, and to stimulate interest in 

 the work, was urged by Miss Simms (Charmouth) 

 and Miss Churton (Brighton). Miss Simms pleaded 

 for a touring lecturer to visit country districts in 

 particular, arousing fresh interest and inspiring new 

 life and activity, and encouraging local workers. 

 Hospitality would no doubt be offered by the local 

 secretary, and surely someone would volunteer for 

 such work. — Mrs. Care spoke of the good that 

 might result from a lecture or meeting in Cardiff. 



Mr. Hastings Lees at once expressed his readi- 

 ness to give a talk or lecture on birds in any place 

 not too far from London, say not more than 200 

 miles distant ; he would bring a selection of the 

 Society's lantern slides, and the only expense, if 

 hospitality was given, would be the railway fare. 

 (Mr. Lees was booked for some half-a-dozen lec- 

 tures by the end of the afternoon.) 



Mr. Masefield, in a thoroughly practical paper 

 on " Local Bird Lectures, and how to make them 

 interesting," supplied hints for those willing to 

 undertake a lecture in their own neighbourhood. 

 For audience they should aim at getting women 

 of fashion, teachers, agriculturists, gardeners, boys 

 and girls. It was well to deal mainly with birds of 

 a restricted area, of the locality or parish, or even 

 of some particular garden, and to show slides of 

 those less frequently seen. He usually began with 

 a brief resume of British birds, their numbers, 

 species, migrations, etc., with some account of 

 those lost to us ; passing on to the causes which 

 led to their diminution, especially the raids of the 

 collector, bird-catcher, Cockney sportsman and 

 gamekeeper. The use that every bird has in 

 nature should be noted, why they should be pre- 

 served explained, and something said as to what 

 was being done by Acts and Orders, and what 

 might be done. Referring to the importance of 

 bird sanctuaries, he said that in his own garden, 

 where nesting-boxes were freely provided, he had 

 had forty-two species nesting, and had counted 

 seventy nests at one time. He was not sure how 

 far it was wise to make a secret of the nesting- 

 places of rare birds ; collectors always knew of 

 these, and the interest felt by the public tended 

 towards protection. 



Mr. A. H. Matthews put in a word of warning 

 to lecturers in country districts not to take too ex- 

 treme a view by advocating the unqualified pre- 

 servation of all species in the present state of 



agricultural opinion. Farmers had to be reckoned 

 with ; and there was no doubt that some species 

 had unduly increased, such, for instance, as the 

 starling — a favourite of his and a most engaging 

 bird— to the damage of crops and the driving away 

 of the woodpecker. The resolution come to by the 

 Chambers of Agriculture, that there should be a 

 departmental enquiry, was one the Society might 

 well support. The destruction wrought by birds 

 was obvious and conspicuous, while the good ser- 

 vices they rendered were very little seen, and a 

 careful scientific enquiry was needed to establish 

 the truth and bring it home to the farmer. 



The Chairman thought that the Free Library 

 authorities, who often arranged lectures, might be 

 willing to help in the matter of bird lectures. 



The Hon. Secretary reminded those present that 

 several typed lectures adapted to various audiences 

 had been prepared and could be borrowed. 



A paper by Mrs. Gerish, " How we attracted 

 birds to a new garden," was not read, but will 

 appear in a future number of Bird Notes and 

 News. 



(Mr. Clement E. Pike, F.R.Hist.S., kindly offers 

 to give his lecture, " The Bird in Art, Song, and 

 Nature," for the benefit of the Society, where any 

 secretary arranges a meeting.) 



[Information as to the Society's slides may be 

 had from the Office, Hanover Square ; in addition 

 to the typed lectures descriptive notes on the 

 slides, for the use of lecturers, are in preparation.] 



The Traffic in Birds. 



An eloquent paper on Bird-Catching came from 

 Mr. John Carey (Perth), who, speaking from ob- 

 servation extending over many years and from 

 information collected, stated that birds were being 

 more and more caught, during all the open season, 

 in Scotland. This fact was to be accounted for to 

 some extent by the numerous winter bird-shows 

 held all over the country, with the reprehensible 

 custom of giving prizes for caged wild birds. Miners 

 were notorious for keeping birds for show, and in 

 mining districts several cages were to be seen at 

 almost every house in some streets. A further 

 cause for the increased trade was the ease with 

 which, in these days of weekly half-holidays, 

 monthly holidays, and cheap railway fares, men 

 from the towns go out into the country to spend 

 their spare time bird-catching for gain. An appeal 

 to such would be met with some such reply as 

 "That's all very good, but folk want birds. If we 

 didn't catch them others would. We don't catch 

 them for pleasure, but for their price. Folks are 



