FOREST ADMINISTRATION 83 
Society is affiliated to the Union, any Members who can should 
attend this Congress. 
The Eighth Annual Meeting of the Humanitarian League 
was held at St. Martin’s Town Hall, on Tuesday afternoon 
(April 18), and was followed in the evening by a largely attended 
Conversazione of members and friends. The Report for rSgS 
shows a continued increase in the strength and activity of the 
League. A meeting is announced by the League for Wednes- 
day, May 3, at 3 p.m., at the Westminster Palace Hotel, to 
advocate the legal repression of spurious sports. 
The Third Annual Conference of the Parents’ National 
Educational Union is announced for May g to May 12, at 
Portman Rooms. 
Cruel Treatment of Frogs. — A lover of “all things both 
great and small,’’ writes : — “ These poor little creatures, at this 
time of the year, are often subjected to the most revolting cruelty 
at the hands of young nien out for a holiday, or boys home from 
school. I live facing a large pond on one of the most beautiful 
of all our Surrey commons, and am frequently sickened by 
witnessing the sufferings of these innocent beings, who never 
do harm to anybody, but yet are most wantonly tortured. They 
are kicked about, trampled on, flicked about with sticks, or held 
up by one leg and given a sharp ‘ whack ’ with a cane, which 
sends them, mutilated and bleeding, to a considerable distance, 
whither they are again pursued, subjected to the same inhuman 
treatment, often several times, and at last brutally smashed and 
battered out of their wretched existence. I speak as an eye 
witness, and that not once, but a great many times, and any 
expostulation on my part would, I know only too well, meet 
with torrents of abusive ridicule. Such brutes are past reasoning 
with. I am most thankful to say that I have recently been 
successful in putting a stop to the bird-catching which has 
hitherto been carried on ad lib. on this magnificent common. 
Can nothing now be done for the poor frogs ? ’’ 
FOREST ADMINISTRATION. 
{Concluded from page 70.) 
T the Revolution of 1688 it is stated that more than 
half the area of the kingdom was forest, waste or fen ; 
but such was the growth of our manufacturing popu- 
lation, and the consequent demand for corn and, 
therefore, for corn land, that by the end of the last century this 
area had been reduced by nearly 50 per cent., whilst we may 
be sure that the continuation of war prices continued to extend 
the “ margin of cultivation ’’ yet more, at least down to the 
date of Waterloo. Even at a later date, when English agricul- 
