114 LOST AND VANISHING BIRDS 



practised ; their eggs have been persistently sought 

 and taken, their young destroyed ; and yet, in spite 

 of all, not a single indigenous species has suc- 

 cumbed absolutely, although it may have been 

 extirpated in many districts. We heartily hope 

 that more sensible opinions will shortly prevail 

 concerning the economic value of many of these 

 raptorial species, and that, duly protected, they 

 will become more numerous, to the benefit of the 

 agriculturist. 



The Osprey, if tradition is to be believed, 

 once bred upon the southern coast of England; 

 whilst a hundred years ago, upon the authority 

 of Heysham, it bred in the Lake District, near 

 Ullswater. Forty years ago two eyries were 

 known to exist in Galloway ; but at the present 

 time we believe the sole stronghold of the Osprey 

 is in the Highlands — fortunately in districts where 

 the bird is protected and its haunts kept secret. 

 Perhaps in time this privacy may not be necessary, 

 but nowadays the Osprey retains its place in our 

 fauna with such a slender hold that naturalists 

 •cannot be too careful in guarding its last retreats 

 from the intrusion of the bribing collector of rare 

 birds and eggs. Certainly, so far as Scotland is 

 concerned, we cannot attribute the present rarity 



