102 
NATURE NOTES. 
mountain, and who is equally prepared to bore under the ocean or ascend into 
the heavens. I was given to understand that this admirable erection comprised 
all the delights of a celestial occupation without any detachment from terrestrial 
pursuits. But I am bound to say that if buildings of that kind are to cover this 
country, and if they are to be joined to the advertising efforts to which I have 
alluded, neither earth, nor sea, nor sky in Great Britain will be fit subject for any 
painter.” 
The Westminster Gazette interviewed representatives of the 
principal offenders alluded to, and published the result in an 
interesting article with the heading which we have adopted 
above. It is gratifying and surprising to learn that one of the 
pill firms — the originator of this form of outrage in England — is 
going to withdraw the objectionable advertisements. 
“ When introducing this form of advertisement,” said its representative, “ we 
had not the slightest notion that the public feeling would go so strongly against 
it. In order, therefore, not to give offence, we shall discontinue every one 
of our field advertisements as soon as our lease is run out. And this brings 
me to another point. Lord Rosebery is wrong in throwing the blame on the 
advertiser. The man who is chiefly to blame is his own countryman, the British 
farmer, who is only too eager and willing to let space in his fields to us for 
advertising purposes. He takes our money thankfully, and he makes this form 
of advertisement rather expensive, for he lets his space to us only on a three 
years’ lease. The rent is expensive and the boards are expensive, so that 
altogether we pay the British farmer well. But as I said, we mean to give in 
to the voice of the public and withdraw all our advertisements of this kind at 
the expiration of our lease.” 
The other firm remains obdurately Philistine. The repre- 
sentative will not even “ admit that we obstruct any view.” 
“ Only one half admission,” says the Westminster correspondent, 
“ was I able to extract. I put it to him, as a man and a brother, 
that his advertising boards could not after all but be deemed 
unmitigatedly ugly.” 
Quoth he — “ I certainly would not like to live opposite one 
myself ; but simply as a matter of passing them in a train I see 
no possible objection ; and I think, moreover. Lord Rosebery 
has very much exaggerated the thing.” 
The only crumb of comfort gained during the interview was 
the announcement that the disfigurement of sailing boats is not 
to be extended. 
The National Society for Checking the Abuses of Public Ad- 
vertising must, therefore, press forward its proposed measures. 
It must first of all, however, find for itself a name which can 
be used in ordinary speech, for no body with so portentous a 
title can ever become popular. 
Birds with Long Beaks (pp. 39, 58). — In December, 1891, I caught a 
bluetit which had a beak similar to that of a parrot. The upper mandible, which 
was nearly half-an-inch long, curved over the lower one. This curious appendage 
did not seem to inconvenience the bird in the least. This specimen, unfortun- 
ately, died a few days later, and so I was not able to observe any peculiar habits 
resulting from this singular growth. The same winter I caught a robin which had 
part of the lower mandible torn off. Is it known exactly how long a bird’s beak 
would take to grow under such circumstances? 
Reading. Geo. H. Shepley. 
