THE WORKING OF THE WILD BIRDS PROTECTION ACT 5 



a bird, so far as the writer's experience goes, quite new as 

 a breeder on Tentsmuir. 



While the Act of 1894 has thus proved itself to be of 

 much value and efficacy, there are one or two points where, 

 in scope or in working, it may be extended and improved. 

 A little is yet wanted to enable those of us who have no 

 sympathy with what sometimes passes for ' oology ' nowa- 

 days, to check its ill effects. Great sympathy may indeed 

 be felt with egg-collecting where the collecting is done by 

 the collector himself, and done, as it quite well may be done, 

 so as to cause inappreciable harm to the birds themselves ; 

 but with the taking of entire clutches of eggs, or, worse and 

 worse, of several clutches of eggs of the same bird, the writer 

 at least has absolutely no sympathy at all. No scientific 

 purpose would seem to be served ; indeed, practically all that 

 can be known about British oology is known already ; and 

 for purposes of research large, if not complete, collections 

 can be studied in the museums which exist in most of the 

 chief towns in the kingdom. Certainly the pleasure of 

 searching for and finding the nest of a new bird is great, 

 and when the nest has been found it can do little or no 

 harm if one or two of the eggs are taken taken, perhaps, 

 more as a memento than as specimens of great scientific 

 value ; but surely the rest of the clutch might be left alone 

 to hatch in peace, so that the pleasure of searching for several 

 nests of the same kind (and of leaving them undisturbed 

 when found !) may be enjoyed during succeeding years. 



While, however, with personal egg-collecting it is perhaps 

 unnecessary,as it would certainly be difficult, for the Legislature 

 to interfere, there is another method of egg-collecting, carried 

 on in another way altogether, of which it is hard to speak in 

 measured terms. This system is as follows : A, a dealer in 

 some large town, sends out circulars broadcast, offering to 

 pay cash down for eggs of almost any kind, whether they 

 are ' protected ' under the Wild Birds Acts, or ' game ' 

 within the meaning of the Poaching Prevention Acts, or 

 unfortunately not protected at all. There is much reason to 

 fear that there is generally B, a malefactor ready to fulfil 

 A's requirements to the letter. Presumably there is some- 

 where or other a C who considers himself a 'collector,' and 



