XATURE NOTES. 
136 
grown-up people often visit these copses (which are not fenced off, nor is any 
warning notice written up) for wild flowers, and a most serious accident might 
easily occur. J. E. Whiting. 
[Perhaps some reader of Nature Xotes will inform us whether traps of this 
kind are legal when placed in a wood which is open to the public. We should 
also be glad to know whether the use of barbed wire is subject to any restrictions. 
Two or three weeks since, near Epsom, we saw a footpath across which were 
pieces of barbed wire supported by two posts, at a height nicely calculated so 
as to catch the foot of the intruder. The footpath was probably private, but 
public paths ran through the same park, and a dog might easily stray on to the 
forbidden ground and become seriously injured by the barbed wire — one of the 
most barbarous (no pun intended) inventions of modern times.— E d. W. A’'.] 
Protection of Birds.— iMr. W. A. Nicholson, the Hon. Sec. of the 
Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society, sends us the following excellent letter, 
which has been published in various newspapers : — • 
Sir, — The Committee of this Society are very desirous of bringing under 
the notice of landowners and agriculturists the great desirabilit}' of affording more 
efficient protection to useful birds, particularly those which, as destroyers of 
vermin and injurious insects, render immense service to the farmer and the com- 
munity at large. 
Frequent comments and letters have recently appeared in the public journals 
as to the disastrous effects resulting from the indiscriminate slaughter of many 
useful species, not only in this country but also on the continent, and it is hoped 
that the publicity given and the attention drawn to the subject will lead to a more 
judicious course of action. 
The importance of this matter, in view of the great devastation caused by the 
plague of field voles (mice) in some parts of Scotland, and past experiences in 
Lincolnshire, cannot be overlooked, and the opinions of the .Scotch farmers in the 
districts affected, quoted from the reports to the Board of Agriculture, point to 
the folly of destroying owls, hawks and weasels. 
The barn owl, a true farmer’s friend, is much persecuted, but a more useful 
bird, as a destroyer of vermin, does not exist. It has been computed, by com- 
petent observers, that when it has young it will bring a mouse to its nest every 
twelve or fifteen minutes, and as many as twenty good-sized rats, perfectly fresh, 
have been counted in a single nest. A recent communication to the daily papers 
states that a nest containing five young ones, being taken and placed under a hen 
coop about a mile distant, no less than twenty-four rats, large and small, brought 
there by the parent birds, were found lying outside the coop the following 
morning. The owlets were at once returned to the place from whence they were 
taken. The kestrel hawk, a great killer of mice, is another bird which merits 
protection, and it is much to be desired that game preservers would give their 
keepers stringent orders not to molest it. 
It is greatly to be wished that some steps could be taken by those who have 
the control of the rivers and waterways of Norfolk to check the cruel and danger- 
ous practice of shooting swallows and martins, which has of late become so 
frequent in this county, more especially in the neighbourhood of Norwich. 
To such an extent is the destruction of our native birds carried on, that it is 
not improbable further legislation in the matter will be called for, and it is to lie 
hoped the Board of. Agriculture will continue to prosecute their inquiries into the 
pecuniary loss acciuing from such destruction. 
My committee earnestly trust that all lovers of nature will by their own 
example and influence with others, not only extend their protection to these our 
feathered friends, but will also do their best to aid in the circulation of information 
which may dispel prejudices leading to their destruction. 
A Bird, of Prey (see p. 115). — What is the feather which milliners call an 
“ ospre)' ? ” Of course it has nothing to do with the real osprey. I thought it 
was only a bit of ostrich feather disguised, and, therefore, an innocent thing to 
wear, but according to the quotation in Punch, to obtain these “ ospreys ” the old 
birds are killed off in scores, while feeding their young. What birds ? 
[Dr. Bowdler Sharpe has kindly answered this question as follows : — The 
osprey or ‘ spray ’ feathers are the long breeding plumes of the small egrets or 
