i 62 
NATURE NOTES. 
King’s Ribbon of the Garter, which was handed down to 
posterity, and is now in possession of I\Ir. William White. This 
ribbon, which is now of a pale blue colour, was next exhibited, 
and a portrait of Benjamin Hyde was pointed out on the wall. 
It was then mentioned that Gilbert White’s sister Anne 
married Thomas Barker, of Lyndon Hall, Rutland. Many of 
the valuable papers from Lyndon are now in Mr. Field’s pos- 
session, and a full account of them is given in the Report of the 
Historical Manuscripts Commission for 1876. They include the 
patent of baronetcy, dated 1665, of Sir Abel Barker, and a war- 
rant for ship money, signed by Laud and others. Two fine 
pictures from Lyndon attracted general attention — one of Sir 
Thomas Barker, the second baronet, and one of Sir John Dun- 
combe, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Charles II. But pre- 
eminent among all the pictures which hung on the walls of the 
room, were two magnificent portraits by Vandyck, of Charles I. 
and Henrietta Maria. These were painted for Charles I., and 
presented by the king to Sir Hugh Stukeley, ancestor of the 
Lords Stawell. On the death of the last Lord Stawell, they 
came into the possession of Mr. Sainsbury, who lived at Mare- 
lands, Lord Stawell’s house, and from him they passed to his 
niece, wdio married Edmund White, vicar of Newton Valence, 
and grandfather of i\Ir. Field. 
Mr. Field, at the close of his most charming and interesting 
address, added a few words as to the character of Gilbert White, 
and “ pointed the moral ” gracefully and effectively. A relic of 
special interest, still used by i\Ir. Field, is the stool which Gilbert 
White used in his study, and on which doubtless he sat when he 
wrote the “ Selborne.” Evidently the naturalist enjoyed having 
free play for his arms ; he had therefore sawn off the back of a 
carved chair, and had so turned it into a stool. 
After a cordial expression of thanks to the host, and another 
visit to the antechamber of the great hall — where tea was pre- 
pared — the company separated, much delighted and interested 
with their visit. 
Stamford. 
THE LEGISLATIVE PROTECTION OF WILD 
BIRDS’ EGGS. 
T is generally admitted that, notwithstanding the opera- 
tion of the existing Acts for the Protection of Wild 
Birds, some of our rarer birds are becoming more and 
more scarce, and must, unless something further is 
done, at no distant time disappear altogether from our islands. 
The Acts of 1880-81 are good enough as far as they go, but they 
fail to accomplish completely the intention of their promoters, for 
the reason that their provisions extend only to the birds them- 
selves, leaving the eggs absolutely unprotected. Now, there are 
