THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
135
And now we have to call attention to a very important
Order issued by the Home Secretary. It is to the following
effect :—
" Any person who between the Fifteenth day of August in any year and
the Fifteenth day of March following shall within that portion of the County
of Essex which is within the Metropolitan Police District or the parishes of Epping,
Epping Upland, Theydon Bois, Theydon Garnon, and Lambourne, shoot or
attempt to shoot, trap, snare, net, or otherwise take any Wild Bird or shall
have in his possession any Wild Bird recently killed or taken and included in
the Schedule hereunder written shall on conviction forfeit and pay for every
such Bird the penalty provided by the said Acts."
Schedule Referred to.
Nightingale — Goldfinch — Lark — Nightjar — Green Woodpecker — Great
Spotted Woodpecker — Lesser Spotted Woodpecker — Kingfisher — Cuckoo —
Barn Owl — Tawny Owl — Long-eared Owl — Short-eared Owl — Kestrel —
Buzzard — Honey Buzzard — Merlin — Hobby — Osprey — Wryneck (Cuckoo's
Mate or Snakebird) — Swallow — Sand Martin — House Martin — Swift Bearded
Tit (Reedling or Reed Pheasant) — Shrikes — Magpie — Wheatear — Stonechat —
Whinchat — Redstart — Flycatchers — Sedge Warbler — Reed Warbler — Black-
cap — Garden Warbler — Wood Warbler — Willow Warbler — Chiffchaff — White-
throat — Lesser Whitethroat — Long-tailed Tit — Nuthatch — Wren — Golden-
crested Wren — Pied Wagtail — Yellow Wagtail — Grey Wagtail — Hawfinch —
Linnet — Common Bunting — Snow Bunting — Landrail or Corncrake — Coot —
Chaffinch — Tree Creeper.
Inasmuch as birds are by the County Order protected
between March 15th and August 15th, it follows that within
the area mentioned (which includes the whole of the Epping
Forest district) all the birds in the schedule are protected
all the year round. And a similar Order has been made for
the County of London. Taken in connection with the effect of
Mr. Buxton's "Epping Forest Bird Protection League" (see
E.N., vol. ix., pp. 49-50, and vol. x., pp. 56-57) and the pro-
tection afforded by the Conservators, our Forest is now the best
protected area in England. We can but repeat our wish, however,
that, in this district, all birds without exception could be
protected, for the reasons stated in a former article (E.N., ix.,
p. 257-8), which experience convinces us are yearly becoming
more cogent.
Finally, in February last, the Order for the Shore Birds,
which arose out of a Petition presented by the Essex Field Club
to the County Council (set out on page 44 of E.N., vol. ix. ; see
also Mr. Russell's article in E.N., vol. ix., p. 218, and report on
pp. 255-56), and which had been sanctioned by the Home Secre-
tary in the previous year, was issued by the Clerk to the County