2 26 NATURE NOTES. 
YOUNG SELBORNIANS. 
OW that the year is drawing to a close it behoves the 
local committees to consider what fresh steps to take 
to advance the objects of the Selborne Society in the 
new. 
As 1893 will be the centenary of Gilbert White’s death, no 
effort should be spared to bring the Selborne Society more before 
the public. We have spent a lot of time 
over the ladies and the slaughter of birds 
for their adornment, unfortunatel}'' with- 
out the large result which our energy 
warranted us in expecting. Let us now, 
without relaxing our crusade against the 
wanton destruction of bird life, give a 
little more attention to the boys, who, in 
their love of hunting for something, waste 
a great deal of animal life, and to the 
girls, who do their share towards the de- 
struction of our native flora. 
This inborn love of collecting could be 
turned to good account by getting the 
children together and instructing them 
how to observe nature’s wonders without 
destroying the beauties of our fields and 
hedgerows. 
Only two or three branches appear to 
have given the youngsters serious atten- 
tion, yet there is as much to be gained in 
this direction as any other. IMany of our 
senior members do little more than give 
us their subscription : they believe in the 
objects of the Society, but take little interest in making any 
regulated observations of Nature. The Society is very glad to 
have their subscriptions, even the minimum half-a-crown, but 
we want more workers ; and as there are apparently so few pre- 
pared for this, why not train up the boys and girls to a love of 
observing animals and plants, and protecting them from wanton 
destruction ? Thus in another decade there Avill be a band of 
