XVI PREFACE. 



certainly decreasing considerably in numbers in 

 consequence. 



This plan is successfully carried out by many 

 private owners of the large breeding- stations of 

 the Gannets, Eider Duck, and other sea-birds in 

 the north of England and Scotland. Of course, it 

 must not be supposed that all the birds mentioned 

 in the Act whose eggs are protected breed in the 

 Islands, or anywhere within ten or fifteen degrees 

 of latitude of the Islands ; in fact, a great many 

 of them are not there at all during the breeding- 

 season, except perhaps an occasional wounded 

 bird which has been unable to join its companions 

 on their migratory journey, or a few non-breeding 

 stragglers. 



It has often struck me that a small but rigidly 

 collected and enforced gun-tax would be a more 

 efficacious protection — not only to the oiseaux de 

 mer, but also to the inland birds, many of which are 

 quite as much in want of protection though not 

 included in the Act — than the Sea-bird Protection 

 Act is. I am glad to see that there is some chance 

 of this being carried out, for, while this work was 

 going through the press, I see by the newspaper 

 (' Gazette Officielle de Guernsey' for the 26th March, 

 1879) that the Bailiff had then just issued a Billet 

 cVEtat which contained a " Projet de loi" on the 

 subject, to be submitted to the States at their next 

 meeting ; and in concluding its comments on this 



