1907. Wright. — Nesting of the Red- Throated Diver. 339 



(this person living on the land sub-let to him) on which the 

 birds bred, he had a perfect right to do as he pleased with the 

 eggs. I paid a visit to this particular person last August and 

 had a long talk with him about the Divers ; all the persuasion 

 I could use would not draw from him the promise to leave the 

 birds unmolested during the breeding season, as he seemed 

 to think he could command almost any price for the eggs 

 in the future. 



I enlightened him on the fictitious value he put on them, 

 and he was much surprised when I told him he could buy 

 foreign sets for about two shillings apiece and do quite a nice 

 little trade with his friends ; so let collectors take warning, 

 for purposely I gave him the names and addresses of a few 

 dealers where his wants can be supplied ; and believe me it 

 would be a great temptation to a poor Irish peasant to make a 

 money-lender's profit on a small invested capital. During 

 our conversation he told me he had more orders for the egf^s 

 than he could supply, and that during the nesting season he 

 rises at 3 a.m. every morning, walks the three miles separating 

 his cottage from the mountain where the breeding place is 

 situated, watches the birds until the nest is found, takes the 

 egg as soon as laid, not even giving the birds time to com- 

 plete the full clutch, in case some of the numerous natives who 

 are always on the look-out, should come along and deprive 

 him of what he considers his just right. The first nest is 

 generally made on a small islet at the far side of the lough, 

 and when this is robbed, after a short interval, another site is 

 chosen on the edge for the second nest, and when this meets 

 the same fate as the first, a third and even a fourth nest is 

 built at different portions of the edge of the lough. 



Truly these poor birds, after noble endeavours to increase 

 their species, deserve better at our hands, and I shall be 

 glad to hear from anyone and to co-operate with them to 

 form a plan whereby they may receive adequate protection 

 in the future. 



Marlborough Park, Belfast. 



