1908. The British Associatio?i in Dublin. 219 



SANCTUARIRvS FOR OT'R NATIVE FI^ORA AND FAUNA. 



BY MRvS. MARY HOBSON. 



The present time seems most opportune to introduce the desirability 

 of establishing Sanctuaries, for here in Ireland the farms are being pur- 

 chased by the tenants from the landlords, and many spots of value to 

 science, of general interest and beauty, are in danger of disappearing. 

 The demesnes are to be retained by the landlords, and it is to them that 

 we must look for help. It is suggested that Field Clubs, and kindred 

 Societies, should first consider the most likely spots suitable for Sanc- 

 tuaries, say, one in each county or area, and then send a deputation of 

 their members to the owners, asking them to fence them in, and guard 

 them from the ravages of intruders, the cost of which would be slight. 



It might be thought that count}- councils, or other public bodies, could 

 assist : some of them have not the power to acquire land, and it is useless 

 to ask the Government ; for so much money is wanted for relieving con- 

 gestion, etc. Happily, Sanctuaries do exist, and I^ambay, Clonbrock, 

 Knocknarde, etc., are well known to readers of this journal. I do not advo- 

 cate the preservation of these for the admission of the man who fondly im- 

 agines himself a naturalist, because he is making a collection, and exclud- 

 ing for his benefit the man in the street. In journals one reads abuse of the 

 professional bird-catcher, and the woman who has the wings of wild, and 

 often rare, birds in her hat. I have no defence for them ; but what one 

 does object to is, that where the former are killing the commoner sort, 

 the so-called scientific person is not only collecting, but advertising, 

 every rare bird, and it seem^ absolutely absurd for one class to throw 

 stones at the other. The same with the botanists ; they are scouring the 

 country for rare plants, and the excuse is that they rarely take roots. 

 I know cases to the contrary ; and, even so, the scarcer the plant, 

 the greater the loss of the seed. A mania for collecting is rampant ; 

 societies should face the fact that rare birds, plants, eggs, butterflies, 

 etc., are being collected on too generous a scale, and that public opinion 

 should be formed to stop the vast destruction of life going on about us. 

 How often one reads of cases like the Ivarge-billed Reed Bunting, the 

 Red-throated Diver, etc. These birds are captured, and are not allowed 

 to breed, by the persons and for the objects I have indicated. Have we 

 made up our minds that no new species shall be added to our lists? It 

 looks like it. One of the usual pleas for collecting is, that eventualh- 

 they will find their way to Museums. I venture to say that our curators 

 often resent the dumping into them of much indifferent propert}', 

 which fills the space so very badly wanted for objects of true educational 

 value. I think that " Primitive Man " might often be applied to our 

 state. We are not very far on the road to civilisation ; we are only 

 beginning, child-like, to notice the things about us. We are children 

 let loose in the Father's Beautiful House, and are guilty, sometimes in 

 ignorance, of breaking and marring the beautiful things with which He 

 has surrounded us. 



A4 



