Appendix No. 1. 
xv 
a true bill had been found over and over again. Their natural instinct 
prompted them to take winged game, but on the other hand, many of 
them destroyed a vast number of rats and mice, which would otherwise 
unduly increase, to the farmers’ prejudice. He thought, as there was 
no particular hurry about this matter, the Society might consider whether 
it would not be desirable to put forward some, little pamphlet on the 
subject of the mammals and birds which it was desirable to preserve in 
that district by way of experiment, and have the pamphlet properly 
circulated. He believed that a great deal of good might be done in that 
way. He fully sympathised with Dr. Cooke’s regret at the destruction 
of his “happy hunting-grounds”: at the same time he thought they 
ought to consider the other side of the question a little. One would 
like to know whether the deep drainage system, while it utterly destroyed 
the little pools that were so fruitful for the microscopist, did not improve, 
or, at all events, preserve from perishing, the forest trees. If deep 
drainage was positively beneficial to the trees, he thought they must not 
sacrifice the trees for the sake of the pools which Dr. Cooke had dilated 
upon with such zeal. But that was a question, of course, for the 
Conservators. They would no doubt have their reasons to give for the 
system of drainage which had been adopted. 
The Rev. W. Linton Wilson said—Mr. Johnston had promised that if they 
put a proposition before the Conservators it would receive consideration. 
Dr. Cooke had put a proposition before the Society, and Mr. Harting had 
enlarged upon it and brought it to bear on the mammals and birds. They 
ought, he thought, to put what they meant into some shape that the Con¬ 
servators could understand, and forward a resolution with it. The matter 
was now somewhat ripe. They had been considering it ever since the 
Club started, for he remembered that the President made a very able 
beginning of the discussion in his first address ; and he thought, with 
the gentlemen they had there, they were quite able to put the matter 
into the form of a resolution which the Conservators would understand. 
For his own part he would allow everything to have free play. [Cheers.] 
Mr. Gould did not believe in disturbing the balance of Nature. His 
opinion was that theie veie still a large number of birds of prey in the 
Forest. With regard to the jays, there was no doubt that jays were great 
robbers, but he would be very sorry to see their extermination. [Hear 
hear.] It might not have a very musical voice [laughter], but it was 
one of our most beautiful birds for colour, and he should be very sorry for 
its destruction. He thought things would go on very much better if 
everything were allowed to have free play. [Hear, hear.] He did not at 
ah sympathise with what Mr. Johnston had said about the sparrows ; he 
did not see why the sparrows should not have as much chance as'the 
martins. [Hear, hear.] The sparrow stopped with us ah the year round 
but Mr. Martin went away when it got cold. [Laughter.] After expressing 
his regret that Sir Fowell was not present, because being one of the largest 
game-preserv ers near the Forest he could have been of great service to the 
