60 The Oologists' Record, September 1, 1923. 



Staying not a hundred years ago on a small estate of something 

 over 1,000 acres bent on bird photography, the writer was surprised 

 to receive a peremptory telegram from the owner warning him that, 

 unless he immediately stopped collecting eggs, proceedings would be 

 taken. To his somewhat heated reply he received, by return of 

 post, a very handsome and sportsmanlike apology together with an 

 assurance that the threat had been made only in consequence of 

 incorrect information received. This is cited only as another instance 

 of ignorant interference by some busybody which caused one man 

 to lose his temper and another, very possibly, to feel a bit foolish. 



Now one word of warning to collectors. Whatever else you 

 may do, however much you may be tempted to infringe the law, 

 however " careful " you ma}^ be, always bear in mind the fact that, 

 thanks to the R.S.P.B., a heavy penalty attaches to the taking of 

 Puffin's eggs in Staffordshire / 



Nobody could be more earnestly in favour of Bird Protection 

 if properly managed than the writer ; but until the present lamentable 

 system is utterly and absolutely eradicated and a fresh Association 

 formed, and run on lines approved of by competent Field Ornitholo- 

 gists, our birds must continue to decrease. Let them be protected 

 by all means ; but let the regulations necessary for their protection 

 be drawn up by people who know something about it, and let those 

 regulations be enforced. Until that day the prayer of many of the 

 birds must be " Protect us from our protectors." 



Lewis R. W. Loyd. 



THE WOOD WARBLER. 



Phylloscopus sibilator. 



Mr. H. W. Wisden has sent us some very interesting notes on his 

 observations of the nesting of this species in Surrey. He finds that 

 the female is often to be found " anything from 50 to 400 yards 

 " away (from the male) and, on the whole, is rather silent unless 

 " the nesting site is approached too closely .... " when " she 

 " will betray it by uttering her sad note more quickly." 



He has generally found that " A dull morning after rain seems 

 " to be a very favourable time for building, and on such a day the 

 " work is carried on feverishly. Possibly when the grass is wet 



