748 Letters, K,rlrncts, and Stoles. [Tl)is, 



clutch be taken, nest again, and the number of young reared 

 in the year will l)e precisely the same. Those wliich do not 

 nest a second time are known to the rational egg-collector, 

 who frequently is at great pains to see they are not dis- 

 turbed. Further, let it be remembered that a series of thirty 

 clutches of the Tree-Pipit possibly represents a selection 

 from over a hundred qlutclies, founl during many years. T 

 have a series of some fourteen clutches of this species myself, 

 taken in five different countries, and assert confidently that 

 by taking these I did not diminish the yearly number of 

 birds reared. It is not the rational egg-collector wiio is 

 diminishing the numbers of our birds, and the blame should 

 be put on the right shoulders. 



Those who do real damage to our bird-life are the school- 

 bov, the collector who cannot pass any nest without taking 

 it, the keeper who has virtually exterminated many of our 

 nobler birds of prey, and the many "sportsmen"' who shoot 

 every rarer visitor to our shoics. 



The blame for taking the last Osprcy's nest in Britain is 

 rightly attributed to an irresponsible egg-collector. Yet the 

 fact that this was the last nest, and that the value of 

 " British taken" eggs is high to some collectors, is entirely 

 due to the keeper and game-preserver. There are many who 

 would just as soon see some of our nobler birds of j^rey than 

 listen to our smaller feathered songsters. 



It is most justifiable to check and discourage the 

 irresponsible collector and the schoolboy from damaging 

 nests unreasonably, but I cannot see that this is suflicient 

 reason for trying to deprive the serious collector of a com- 

 paratively harmless form of sjiort, which affords many hours 

 of healthy exercise in the spring :ind pleasant evenings in 

 the winter, especiallv when, as is often the case, he cannot 

 afford the more expensive and popnhir forms. 



Yours faithfully, 

 18 Keiitmanu Street, R. F. Meiklejohn. 



Reval, Esiliouia. 

 22 Julv, 1922. 



