Mr. Dillwyn has introduced a much-needed Wild Birds' Pro- tection
Law Amendment Bill, in which he is supported by Sir John Lubbock and Mr. James Howard. At present, there are only certain selected wild birds which are protected during breeding-time, and various little birds are lured and caught in thousands and tens of thousands during the breeding-time by bird-catchers, who, whatever may be the birds they really have in their possession, always state that it is "only chaf- finches," or some other unprotected birds, which they have caught. Many of them deal most cruelly with these chaf- finches, capturing hundreds of cock chaffinches, and putting out their eyes, in order to make them sing the better; while they leave the hens, which are not good songsters, to bring up the brood alone, if they can, and if not, to starve in the attempt. It is the regular Sunday occupation of many of these bird- catchers to go down in parties into the country within twenty miles of London during the breeding-time, and there replenish the stores of their shops, to the great loss of the country-side, —both in song and in peace of mind, for the cruelty of the pro- cess is shocking. We trust that Mr. Dillwyn'a studiously reasonable and moderate Bill may receive the sanction of Parlia- ment, even during the present short Session.
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