j^ondn far tljr flratcrfiau af Utrlis. 
3, HANOVER SQUARE, LONDON, W r . 
CONFERENCE, 1900, 
T HE Third Annual Conference of Branch Secretaries of the 
Society for the Protection of Birds was held at No. 3 , Hanover 
Square, on October 24 th, 1900 , and was made the occasion for 
introducing to notice a new feature of the Society’s work. Lantern 
lectures have been for some years most important agents in carrying 
it on, the Society’s large collection of slides being available for 
use by any Associate Member. To this department .are now added 
slides to illustrate songs dealing with bird life, song, and legend, such 
as may be made to constitute the entire programme of an entertain¬ 
ment, or used as keynotes or illustrations to Bird Protection lectures. 
A selection of such songs may be also hired from the Society. 
The Hon. Mrs. Drewitt presided, and there was a large gathering 
of Branch Secretaries and friends, among the Branches represented 
being :—Blacklieath Hill, Bloomsbury, Colchester, Dorchester, 
Dumbarton, Ealing, Hampstead, Harlesden, Havant, Holloway, 
Kensington, New Forest, Oxford, Pains wick, Pinner, Redliill, Royston, 
Saffron Walden, Salisbury, Sidcup, Surbiton, Sutton, Tunbridge Wells, 
and "Weston-super-Mare. 
Entertainments. —The Society’s new scheme was brought forward 
by Mrs. Suckling (New Forest), who said that humane entertain¬ 
ments were a pet hobby of hers. Though, perhaps, the worst of 
secretaries from a financial point of view, no one had won more 
men, women and children to become bird friends and bird protectors, 
and these had been won, directly or indirectly, through entertain¬ 
ments—entertainments in town, village, and drawing room, given by 
all sorts and conditions of performers to all classes and ages of 
audiences. Robert Browning told us that 
“ Tliere is in every human heart 
Some not completely barren part 
Where seeds of truth might grow,” • * 
but the difficulty was to probe for this receptive spot without giving 
the offence which would spoil all. This the entertainment accom¬ 
plished to perfection; its high-toned touching songs, recitations, and 
pictures quickening into life dormant seeds of love and justice for 
the lower brethren. To do this, however, it was absolutely necessary 
that every word said or sung should ring true, and that no suspicion 
of what was merely comic or useless should be tolerated to mar the 
high tone of the whole, for in that high tone lay the secret of success 
in regard to Bird Protection work. A book of selected programmes 
for dozens of entertainments can be borrowed from the Society, from 
which the music and slides might also be obtained. “ The Humane 
Educator ” was full of readings and recitations from the pen of able 
