1938 - The Vasculum

9
bird's egg, in respect of which the offence has been committed, may be
forfeited. Both as regards "any wild bird " and "scheduled birds" and
presumably the eggs of birds mentioned in an Order, a penalty not
exceeding 10s. may be imposed for refusal to give name and address or
giving false name and address to any person asking for such name and
address.
From the foregoing it will be noted that any person may take up
the duty of preventing disobedience to the Acts and Orders and help in
obtaining convictions for any offences. Any person may also apply for a
summons against an offender and himself prosecute. (A summons should be
taken out for each offence against each person to be charged, and it is
advisable to apply for more than one summons where more than one bird or
egg has been taken or destroyed.)
The main features of the Acts and the Orders based upon them
having been dealt with, it is now possible to consider our local Wild Birds
Protection Orders in the light thereof. It must not be concluded, however,
that in this brief introduction to the subject all the provisions of the various
Acts have been adequately considered. There are provisions dealing with
particular species, such as the Lapwing or Peewit; with particular forms of
traps, such as the pole-trap; with methods of treating decoy-birds and so on.;
but these have no direct bearing upon the substance or form of the Orders.
There are complications arising from the fact that certain wild birds are also
"game" and therefore, for certain purposes, are exempt from the Wild Birds
Protection Acts. It is impossible to deal with all these matters in an article
such as this.
THE ORDER FOR THE COUNTY OF NORTHUMBERLAND.
The Northumberland County Council has made repeated attempts
to draw up an Order which shall give adequate protection to its Wild Birds
without interfering with what are generally considered to be the interests
and rights of the many sections of the community likely to be affected. The
farmers, the gardeners, the fruit-growers, the game-preservers, the
wildfowlers and the fishermen have all been considered, with the result that
even after