214 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



but it has not yet felt itself in a position to make any recom- 

 mendations. The committee, which includes the names of 

 Professor Newton and Canon Tristram, was re-appointed at 

 the Edinburgh meeting ; and it is hoped that next year it 

 may feel in a position to offer suggestions on this extremely 

 difficult subject. 



This important question was, however, brought before the 

 recent meeting of the British Association at the conference 

 of the delegates of the corresponding societies, and after a 

 most interesting discussion, in which the writer, Mr. E. B. 

 Poulton, Canon Tristram, and others took part, the following 

 resolution was carried unanimously : — " The conference of 

 delegates having heard of the threatened extermination of 

 certain birds, as British breeding species, through the destruc- 

 tion of their eggs, deprecates the encouragement given to 

 dealers by collectors through their demands for British taken 

 eggs, and trusts that the corresponding societies will do all 

 that lies in their power to interest and influence naturalists, 

 landowners, and others in the preservation of such birds and 

 their eggs." 



All will agree that if legislative protection for wild birds' 

 eggs is asked for at all, it is not required for all species. 

 Indeed, sweeping legislation would do more harm than good. 

 There are certain groups — such, for instance, as the Passeres, 

 that are very well able to take care of themselves and need 

 no protection. Again, all will agree that it would be a mis- 

 take to pass laws which could not be enforced. Any general 

 law against egg collecting would be easily evaded, and every 

 one knows the demoralising effect of an unenforced rule. 



Setting aside, then, all idea of a general prohibition of 

 egg-collecting as impracticable, if not mischievous, there are 

 still cases in which the maintenance of the present freedom 

 from restraint appears to be open to doubt. As we have 

 already stated, there are certain species which will shortly 

 become extinct as breeders in the British Isles if steps are 

 not taken by legislation or otherwise to protect them. What 

 can be done for these ? 



It would perhaps be well to instance a few cases. 



As the readers of the Anna/s (No. 2, April 1892) already 

 know from Mr. W. Eagle Clarke's article, the only breeding 



