REPORT. 
13 ? 
Barmou th. — The Barmouth Branch is bestirring itself to protect the 
beautiful scenery of the district from degradation and defacement. In 
a paper read before a meeting of the branch, it was suggested that an 
appeal should be made to visitors to refrain from exterminating flowers 
and ferns, and from destroying the beauty of various spots with jticnic 
fragments. The Committee have carried out the suggestion, and cards 
have been printed and distributed to all the lodging-houses and hotels 
in the district, h joint committee of members of the District Council 
and Selbornians are now inquiring into the question of public footpaths 
on the hills. 
Early last year the branch had the pleasure of hearing a paper read 
by Miss Hearn (Marianne Farningham), on the “ Helpfulness of Nature.” 
B.ath. — The Council has received notification of the resignation of 
the honorary secretary. Dr. George Norman, who will, however, still 
retain the treasurership of the branch. Mrs. Wheatcroft, of 27, River 
Street, has kindly accepted the post in his stead. The opening Conver- 
sazione took place on November 2, when the Rev. H. H. Winwood read 
a most interesting paper entitled Geological Ramble,” in which he 
dealt with the local gravel deposits, and advanced interesting theories 
accounting for them. The lecture was illustrated by the limelight, under 
the able manipulation of Mr. E. J. Appleby. 
At the Royal Literary Institution on Thursday, February' 27, the mem- 
bers of the Bath Branch met to discuss the question of the preservation 
of wild birds and flowers. Mr. H. D. Skrine, President, was in the chair, 
and there was a large attendance of members. 
Mrs. Wheatcroft opened the discussion by reading a paper in which 
she said that there \vere now over 200 members in the branch, who were 
all interested in promoting the objects of the Society'. Six spring rambles 
were being instituted to take place on the first and third Saturdays of 
March, April and May, under the guidance of Selborne members who 
are botanists and ornithologists. If young children could be interested 
in the habits of birds and plants they would be less likely' to evolve into 
the destructive British tourist. For this purpose the younger members 
of a family should join the Society as associates, or else form some junior 
branch, such as those now being formed by the Parent Society in schools, 
rules for which may be seen in the December number of Nature Notes, 
page 244. 
The President said that birds of prey' should for a time be left alone, 
as they were fast dying out, especially' ravens, crows, owls and hawks. 
There were some small birds which had been destroyed in the interests 
of the farmer and gardener, which were not so bad as they had been 
represented. The sparrows were injurious and destructive, but their 
ruthless extermination would probably leave a gap in the feathered 
friends of man. They ate something besides grain, such as flies, and 
were particularly fond of blight and grub under the leaves of plants. He 
thought it would be important to publish a notice of the law and its 
penalties, to support the Act in this neighbourhood, to check the method- 
less destruction among young people, and the predatory habits of collec- 
