1897. NOTES AND COMMENTS. 303 



the contemporary refuse of Indian cookery of post-glacial times." 

 They recur elsewhere associated with those of the tapir, mastodon, 

 and fossil sloth, which thus within *' a comparatively few centuries " 

 all roamed the forests of the Eastern United States. 



The Extinction of British Butterflies, 



In a recent short article in the Entomologist, Mr. W. Harcourt- 

 Bath discusses the causes which have led to the dying-out of several 

 of our native butterflies. He does not believe that climate has much 

 to do with the extermination of these species, and he considers that 

 even the rapacity of collectors has been less destructive than two 

 other factors : the abnormal number of insectivorous birds owing to 

 their protection and the persecution of their enemies, the hawks and 

 owls, and the wearing-out of the butterflies by insular isolation and 

 consequent in-and-in breeding. 



That the senseless destruction of birds of prey by game-preservers 

 may have such an effect on insect-life as Mr. Harcourt-Bath supposes 

 is likely enough, but we fear the consideration will not have any 

 effect on the slaughterers of so-called "vermin." The isolation factor 

 is much more doubtful. Mr. Harcourt-Bath supports it by stating 

 that the extinct or dying species have weak powers of flight, while 

 our dominant butterflies are constantly recruited by immigrants from 

 the Continent. On the other hand it may be urged that many species 

 of Lepidoptera, with an excessively limited range — confined to a few 

 discontinuous strips of our western coasts and presumably among 

 the oldest inhabitants of our islands — show no signs of dying out 

 except by the greed of the insect-hunter or the money-hunter ; for 

 unfortunately British Lepidoptera have a most sad pre-eminence 

 among natural objects in their high market value. Their extinction 

 will only be checked by the extinction of the "mere collector" and 

 the dealer who supplies him. 



We have said that Mr. Harcourt-Bath's article appeared in a 

 recent number of the Entomologist, From the reprint supplied we can 

 derive further information only with difficulty. The covers tell us 

 the names of the editors and publishers, the price and terms of sub- 

 scription of the magazine, but we look in vain for the date or number 

 of the volume. However, at the bottom of the article, we find that 

 it was written in November, 1896, and we therefore venture to give 

 the reference as Entomologist, 1897, PP* 55~"8- 



The Extermination of the Golden Eagle. 



Mr. Joseph Collinson sends to us from the Humanitarian 

 League the following protest : 



" The bird butchers are at it again. In the North Eastern Daily 

 Gazette oi Fehrua.ry 17th, it is recorded that a golden eagle has just 

 been shot in East Yorkshire. This is the second killed within three 



