544 

 CORRESPONDENCE. 



The following letter addressed to the Editors of the Journal has been 

 received : — 



SiK, — It ia high time that Naturalists and Ornithologists in India bestirred 

 themselves to obtain real protection for birds in the breeding season. 



Birds in this country are being increasingly persecuted and their numbers less- 

 ened by the operations of unscrupulous egg collectors. 



Whether true IS:>ture Study is on the increase in India I very much doubt, 

 but there is no doubt that egg collecting and of the most unscientific kind (on 

 the get rich quickly principle) is becoming more and more popular and excites 

 a nefarious competition in some of our hill stations. Gangs of coolis and so- 

 called shikaris are employed to take all and every egg they come across and 

 the taking of eggs is even left to be carried on by these men when the collec- 

 tora themselves are away in the plains. 8uch examples ai-e contagious, and 

 every grass cutter and wood cutter endeavours to supplement hiH monthly pay 

 by bringing into the station for " bakshish " every egg he can lay hands on. 



Season after season the birds are harried in this way and the result is not 

 hard to imagine. 



In one hill station I know species have been appreciably lessened within the 

 last few years, and the charm of its scenery has, in my opinion, suffered consid- 

 erably in consequence. Legitimate collecting for scientific purposes and by 

 the true Naturalist and Oologist who is himself generally solicitous for the 

 preservation of and a lover of bird-life is not in question. But the increase of 

 amateur egg collecting in this country is assuming most undesirable proportions 

 and the time has certainly come for legislation to put a stop to it. 



H. A. F. MAGRATH, Major. 



2m May 1909. 



[ vVe cordially support Major Magrith's appeal and hope that Members of the Society will 

 do all iu their power lo binder iho "mere egg collector." It would be well if egg o>llector8 

 would realize ihat aa Qgg, unidoutilied by a competeat person, ia wortbless from a naturalist 

 point of view. Where the pleasure of collecting eggs brought in by natives for Kilo cornea in 

 we fail to see. To the true Naturalist the whole pleasure of egg' collecting is not the ama£S* 

 ing of huge series of eggs but the taking of epecimens after carefully identifying the parent 

 bird. The late Professor NewtDn, who bad a passion for egg collecting, iu his ''Sugges- 

 tions for forming Collections of Bird's eggs" remarks "The collecting of bird's eggs for 

 scientific purposes requires far more discrimination than the collecting of specimens iu 

 almost any other branch of Natural History. While the Botanist, and generally speaking 

 the Zoo ogist, at horns is satisfied as long, as he receives tho specimens in good condition 

 with labels aitached giving a few concise particulars of when and where they were obtained 

 it should always be borne in mind that to the Oologist such facts, and even the specimena 

 themselves, are of very slight value unless accompanied by a statement of other circum- 

 stances which will carry conviction that the epecies to which the eggs belong has been 

 accurately identified, and the specimens subsequently carefully authenticated. Consequent- 

 ly precision in the identification of his specimens thould be the principal object of an egg- 

 oollector, to attm whica all others must give way. There are perhaps few disthcte in the 

 world, and certainly no regions of any extent, whose faunas are 3o well-kaowu th.tt the laoBt 

 rigid identificatiuu u\a^ be diapensad with."— £t».] 



