FORTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT, FOR IQoS. 
15 
with in "The Birds of Yorkshire. " The object of the Committee 
is to thoroughly investigate the present distribution of the various 
species in the county, as well as to examine and tabulate previous 
records, with the view to publishing the results in the series of 
monographs being issued by the Union. 
The following were elected for the first officers : — 
Chairman — A. Whilaker, Barnsley. 
Convener — W. Denison Roebuck, 259 Hyde Park Road, 
Leeds. 
Representative on Executive — A. Whitaker, Barnsley. 
Representative on Committee of Suggestions— A. Whitaker, 
Barnsley. 
Other Members — R. Fortune, Harrogate ; H. B. Booth, Shipley ; 
F. Lawton, Skelmanthorpe ; Oxley Grabham, York. 
Wild Birds' and Eggs' Protection Committee's Report.— The 
Committee is pleased to record that it has this year received 
much more encouragement and support ; the respectable sum of 
£45 3s. being received in subscriptions. To Mr. Milnes Gaskell 
we are particularly indebted for a generous donation of twenty 
pounds. A balance of £7 6s. yd. was left over from last year, 
thus making cur total fund for 1908 £52 9s. yd. The expenses 
have been £ig i8s. 6d., there is therefore a balance in hand for 
the work of 1909 of £32 iis. id. 
It is extremely gratifying to find that the Societies affiliated 
to the Union have supported us in a better way, but there is still 
room for improvement in this respect. 
There -are about forty-three Societies in the Union ; subscrip- 
tions have been received from sixteen, as against four last year. It 
may be interesting to note that fourteen of these are West Riding 
Societies, one North Riding, one York. The Societies of the East 
Riding, where most of our money has been spent so far, have 
not assisted as Societies, though one or two individual members 
have helped. 
During the year, Spurn has again received full attention, 
a watcher being employed during the whole of the nesting season. 
The Lesser Terns have had a very successful time ; early in June, 
fifty-five nests were counted, with full complements of eggs, and it 
is satisfactory to know that practically all hatched off safely. 
Some few nests were destroyed during a heavy gale on June 
6th, by the eggs being buried in drifting sand, but in all probability 
the birds laid again. Mr. Booth and myself saw newly-hatched 
young ones on June 8th. Ring Plovers were very abundant. 
The Terns seem to prefer the extremity of the point, but the 
