SELBORNIANA. 
215, 
before us a letter from a lady protesting against the interesting article on the 
Grouse in our last number. “ In common with many Selborne Society members, 
I am a vegetarian,” she writes, “ and these articles give a flavour of the slaughter- 
house and cookery book which is very distasteful.” We must not think that 
because we are virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale. We yield to none 
in our anxiety to protect from wanton destruction the birds, insects and flowers 
of our land ; but we have small sympathy with those who would forbid to others 
the pleasure derived from the presence of wild flowers in, it may be, dull and 
crowded rooms, or who would entirely suppress the collection, under due restric- 
tions, of birds’ eggs or insects. We have reason to know that there is a danger 
lest some of our most valued members should leave our ranks as a protest against 
the undue zeal manifested by certain enthusiasts, and we can ill afford to lose any 
of our sympathisers. We were not consulted as to the change of the design on 
the cover ; but did Mrs. Newman ever see a branching lily? — E d. N.N.'X 
Rare Birds — Shot ! — “On September 18, a most remarkable and beau- 
tiful bird was shot in the grounds at Padeswood Hall. It resembled a parrot 
except that it was smaller, was silver grey in colour, with a pale pink breast and 
tipped wings. Two of these birds have been observed feeding on a stubble field, 
adjoining Padeswood Hall, for a fortnight, and many have tried to secure them.” 
The above appeared in the Chester Chronicle of October 6. This is the way 
in which much that is interesting in our bird life disappears from the country. 
The moment some strange bird is seen, all are out after it with guns, to follow that 
stupid plan of having it stuffed and put in a box with a glass in front of it, and 
some imaginary rock-work and a badly painted landscape behind. Such scare- 
crows stare at us in every country inn parlour, and the Padeswood Hall people 
ought to have known belter. 
Kelsall, Chester. W. H. Cash. 
Here is another cutting, showing a yet more disgraceful state of things : — 
“ A fine specimen of the reeve or female ruff was recently shot on the 
Irrigation Farm. The reeve was at one time abundant in our fens and marshy 
districts, but is now fast becoming extinct as a British bird. A great tern was 
shot at Bletsoe near the river, and a female of the very dark variety of the screech 
owl at Harrold. A merlin falcon, the smallest English hawk, was killed at 
Goldington last week, and three large herons and five specimens of the beautiful 
long-ear owl have lately fallen to the gun of the sportsman [!] in this neighbour- 
hood. ” — Bedfordshire Times. 
The Southwark Trees (p. 194). — London says : “A report, presented to 
the Vestry, on the condition of the trees, states that out of the total 420, forty are 
dead. Two hundred and fifty trees v/ere in a fair condition. The contract for the 
trees has yet two years to run.” A very simple calculation shows, therefore, that, 
besides the dead trees, no fewer than 130 of those for which the Vestry is respon- 
sible are not even in a “ fair ” condition — are, in fact, dying. A further deduction 
must be made of those which are of the wrong kind of tree — poplars, birches, &c., 
instead of planes, as contracted for — so that only about half of the trees are even 
fairly satisfactory. 
We first called attention to this matter in August. Nearly three months have 
elapsed, yet nothing has been done save the meeting of an inefficient committee to 
“ consider the subject.” “ The contract for the trees has yet two years to run.” 
Why, then, has the surveyor to the Vestry not been instructed to see that the con- 
tractor carries out his agreement? We intend to keep this matter before the public 
until something has been done to remedy the existing disgraceful state of things, 
and we hope to publish some illustrations showing the condition in which St. 
George’s Vestry is content to allow its trees to remain. 
“ Feather Trimming's.” — A letter from the Secretary of the Selborne 
Society under this heading has appeared in most of the daily papers, and has 
elicited much correspondence, which the pressure upon our space will not allow 
us even to summarise. 
