§ Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Agriculture what is the nature of the arrangements which he has entered into with the Ornithological Union for investigating the destructive habits of birds deemed to be injurious to agricultural and horticultural crops; and why certain birds, and those not the most destructive, have been selected for primary investigation?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe scientific investigations to which the hon. Member refers are being carried out at Manchester University and the South-Eastern Agricultural College, Wye, in accordance with an arrangement made between the Board and the Economic Ornithological Committee of the British Association for the advancement of science. There would be little or nothing to be gained by investigating the habits of birds already known to be the most destructive, and the rook, the starling, and the chaffinch have been first selected in consequence of their abundance and the diversity of opinion which exists with regard to them.