THE DARTFORD WARBLER 243 



of moderate wealth, but, like horse-racing, yachting, 

 and other expensive forms of sport, it now attracts 

 the very wealthy, and is even a pastime of million- 

 aires. All this is a familiar fact, and clearly shows 

 that without such a law as I have suggested it has 

 now become impossible to save the best of our wild 

 bird life. 



The collectors will doubtless cry out that such 

 a law would be a monstrous injustice, and an un- 

 warrantable interference with the liberty of the 

 subject ; that there is really no more harm in collect- 

 ing birds and their eggs than in collecting old 

 prints, Guatemalan postage stamps, samplers, and 

 first editions of minor poets ; that to compel them 

 to give up their treasures, which have cost them in- 

 finite pains and thousands of pounds to get together, 

 and to abandon the pursuit in which their happiness 

 is placed, would be worse than confiscation and down- 

 right tyranny ; that the private collectors cannot 

 properly be described as law-breakers and injurious 

 persons, since they count among their numbers 

 hundreds of country gentlemen of position, pro- 

 fessional men (including clergymen), noblemen, 

 magistrates, and justices of the peace, and dis- 

 tinguished naturalists — all honourable men. 



To put in one word on this last very delicate 



