[3] 



a second Watcher became requisite and was 

 engaged. Now, owing to the spread of the 

 breeding-places of these and other birds, a 

 third man is needed, and it is hoped that 

 sufficient funds will be forthcoming to ma.ke 

 his appointment possible. 



Many of the Tern colonies round the 

 coast are carefully protected, and this has 

 been made possible by the whole-hearted 

 co-operation of the landowners concerned, 

 to whom the warm thanks of all lovers of 

 these beautiful birds are due. 



With regard to other species, we may 

 claim that, as far as we know, not a single 

 nest has been taken in anj^ " watched " 

 area. This in itself is enough to show the 

 value of the work, and could it but be 

 extended to other spots whence comes in- 

 formation showing that rare species try to 

 breed, but have their eggs systematically 

 taken, it might be confidently foretold 

 that no rare bird would be in danger of 

 extermination. 



The work of the travelling inspectors is 

 often full of difficulties, and in some cases 

 of danger — such is the wrath of ignorant 

 spoilers when their traffic is discovered. 

 The difficulties of obtaining direct and 

 sufficient evidence to justify prosecutions is 

 often great, as neighbours are naturally 

 reluctant to give information which might 

 get a friend or relative into trouble. Places 

 where illegal egg-lifting and bird-taking are 

 known to go on, are visited by the Society's 

 Inspectors in strict incognito, and thus 

 they obtain information which would other- 

 wise be denied them. If their real mission 

 becomes known there are sometimes extremely 

 unpleasant results. In one case a gang of 

 men set upon the inspector and knocked 

 him about severely, causing him to be 

 laid up for some time. Sometimes the 

 situation becomes distinctlv humorous ; 



when, for instance, our Inspector has been 

 made the confidant of the views of the 

 villagers on the behaviour of the R.S.P.B., 

 in sending paid detectives to interfere in 

 other people's business and preventing them 

 from making money by the sale of rare birds 

 and eggs. 



The Inspectors bring reports of places 

 where they discover that nests are robbed 

 with impunity, and where the birds are 

 becoming rarer every year as the result of 

 raids by collectors ; of places where the 

 Wild Birds Protection Act is systematically 

 evaded, there being no provision worthy the 

 name for its enforcement ; and of places 

 where local men are in constant com- 

 munication with professional dealers. 



It would take up too much space to give 

 the history of the work at every spot where 

 Watchers are posted. An account of what 

 has been done at Inchmickery on the Firth 

 of Forth, may be of interest as typical of the 

 valuable help sometimes received from local 

 bird-lovers, when once they have been 

 approached and their interest aroused. 



The Island of Mickery is situated in the 

 Firth of Forth and lies on the Fifeshire 

 coast, almost midway between Cramond, 

 Midlothian, and Aberdour. It is uninhabited 

 and is of no great extent, being barel}' a 

 quarter of a mile in length and considerably 

 less in breadth. Fifeshire possesses an excellent 

 Bird Protection Order by which, in addition 

 to the general provisions of the Wild Birds 

 Protection Acts, fourteen species have been 

 added to the schedule, all-the-year-round 

 protection is afforded to sixteen species, and 

 protection is secured for the eggs of forty- 

 three species, among them being every kind 

 of Tern. In June, 1910, a member of the 

 R.S.P.B., residing at Portobello, visited 

 Inchmickery with the object of photo- 

 graphing the eggs and nests of the large 



