NATURE STUDY IX SCHOOLS. 191 



COMMENT AND CRITCISM. 



PROTECTION OF BIRDS IN NEWTON. 



Proceedings of the Mavnard Chapter of the Newton Natural History Society 



At a meeting of the Maynard Chapter of the Newton 

 Natural History Society, held Sep, 22, when there were 

 some forty members present, Mr. Maynard made some re- 

 marks regarding the protection of birds in Newton. He 

 said that a few evenings previous, when on his way to visit 

 the bird roost which is in the vicinity of the laboratory in 

 company with three pupils, a gun shot was heard, appar- 

 ently coming from the roost. Almost as soon as the sound 

 of the shot reached our ears, we saw an immense cloud of 

 birds, which we had estimated a few evenings before to num- 

 ber about 7000, rise in a body, but soon settled again only 

 to be greeted by another shot. The birds again rose, and 

 some large flocks left the place. Hastening our steps, we 

 succeeded in reaching the woods in time to prevent two 

 boys from shooting again, as they were preparing to do. 

 Upon being remonstrated with for disturbing the birds, the 

 boys informed us that it was not illegal to shoot crow black- 

 birds, as they called the bronzed grackles, which were the 

 principal species of birds gathered there. When told that 

 the law of common sense and of humanity ought to have 

 taught them better than to attempt the wholesale slaughter 

 of birds, which were of no use to them, and which had been 

 objects of study for the teachers and pupils of the schools 

 for some time, the boys appeared very much ashamed of 

 their conduct and said had they been aware that this bird 

 roost was being studied, they would not have thought of 



