NATURE NOTES 
1 86 
“ So far as concerns the whole of London, the Council list 
could be easily increased. As you may know, the Selborne 
Society has a “ bird sanctuary ” near Hanwell, which is at 
any rate in the London postal district. There we have already 
noticed no fewer than sixty-seven different kinds of wild birds — 
including kingfishers, lapwings, jays, jackdaws, tree-pipits, 
fieldfares, snipe, turtle-doves, and many not mentioned by the 
Council. This very year I nave been able to photograph there 
a cuckoo in a whitethroat’s nest. 
“ ‘ On the other hand,’ Mr. Webb continued, “ though it 
may seem strange in some of the central parishes, there has 
been a genuine, crying need for this protection all over London. 
You must remember that there is no necessity for the bird- 
catchers to go away into the woods to do their work. Wherever 
there is a bit of waste ground — a railway embankment or any- 
thing like that — they will take their ‘ call-bird ’ and some lime, 
and food, and lure any number of little songsters. 
“ You would be astonished to find what an all-prevalent affair 
this business of bird-catching is. I have known of cases in the 
Council parks where special men have had to be told off to watch 
even a blackbird or thrush’s nest. These town-poachers nearly 
always go out on Sunday — hence the Council’s provision. 
“ Another very shrewd and necessary thing about the 
Council’s list is the including of different names for the same 
bird. These bird-catching fellows are extremely cute in pleading 
ignorance. For example, if you charge them with catching 
a ‘ wryneck ’ they will swear that they did not know that name 
and were always brought up to call it a ‘ cuckoo’s mate ’ or 
‘snake-bird.’ 1 am afraid they are ‘snake-birds’ themselves 
often enough ! ” — Daily Chronicle. 
Wild Birds Protection Orders. — We have raised from 
the Home Office an Order, dated September 9, 1907, with 
reference to the county of Norfolk, repealing that of November, 
1905, extending the close time, adding the Great Bustard, 
Crossbill, Sand Martin and Bearded Tit to the Schedule, pro- 
tecting all eggs in most of the “Broads” and all birds on 
Sundays within the same areas, protecting Owls, Kingfisher, 
Goldfinch, Bitterns, &c., throughout the county during the 
whole year, and also the eggs of a number of species. 
We have also received Orders, dated September 12, for the 
counties of Brecon and Cumberland, repealing those of February 
14, 1898, and December 19, 1901, respectively. The former 
adds many species to the Schedule, protects the eggs of a 
number of species throughout the county, and especially 
prohibits the killing of the Kite. The latter adds the Raven, 
Peregrine, Kestrel, Merlin, Buzzard, and one or two more 
species to the Schedule, and protects their eggs and those of 
some other species. 
