144 
NATURE NOTES 
“Certain wild birds are protected in the County of London 
under the provisions of the Wild Birds’ Protection (County of 
London) Order, January, 1900, a copy of which I send here- 
with. Wild birds’ eggs are, however, under Clause 6, only 
protected for a period of five years from the date of the Order, 
and the Council is about to apply for an extension, without 
limit of time, of this clause. 
“ A few years ago artificial means were taken with a view 
to the propagation in Battersea Park of some of the more 
common kinds of butterflies, but, owing chiefly to the voracity 
of the sparrows, the experiment was not successful and was not 
proceeded with after the first season. 
“ Most of the lakes and ponds in the Council’s parks and 
open spaces are stocked with fish of indigenous species, as, for 
example, carp, roach and perch. Angling is allowed at the 
open spaces but not at parks. 
“ At Hampstead Heath and Golder’s Hill, Avery Hill, 
Bostall Heath, and some other places, rabbits are to be found, 
although no special attention has been given to their preserva- 
tion beyond the enforcement of the by-laws. Clause 23 of which 
is designed to protect birds, game and animals. A proposal is at 
present under consideration to form at Golder’s Hill an enclosure 
for rabbits, as at present they do considerable damage to the 
young trees there. 
“ I may say that the Council does all in its power to preserve 
such forms of animal life at its parks and open spaces as tend 
to the interest, enjoyment or instruction of the public visiting 
those places ; but it is, of course, necessary to kill rats and other 
rodents, which do considerable mischief there.” 
We would remind our readers that, in addition to all this 
useful and thoroughly Selbornian work, the Council manages 
the Horniman Museum, with its admirable courses of lectures 
on Nature-Study, and supplies plants to schools, besides main- 
taining botanical gardens in its parks, not to mention the exten- 
sive endowment of direct science-teaching by its Technical 
Education Board and the Elementary Education of London 
recently taken over. 
South-Eastekn Union Congress. — The ninth Congress of 
this Union, to which the Selborne Society is affiliated, was held 
at Maidstone on June g, 10 and 11, under tlie presidency of 
F. W. Rudler, I.S.O., F.G.S. While departing in some details 
from the precedents of its predecessors, it certainly equalled any 
of them in sustained interest and success. The beautiful and 
interesting country round the Kentish county town suggested 
the holding of more excursions than on previous occasions, the 
Congress opening with one of these on the afternoon of June g 
to Mailing Abbey and St. Leonard’s Tower. In addition to 
the architectural interest of this latter early example of Norman 
work, the occurrence of Linaria origanifolia, a Spanish species. 
