PREFACE vii 



similar letters bears eloquent testimony : "I con- 

 sider that the birds ought to be extremely grateful 

 to you for inventing bird-photography. I never 

 knew anything that has done so much for their 

 protection during the nesting season as your example. 

 I myself have for several years given up egg col- 

 lecting entirely, and know many others who have 

 done the same." As further evidence in the same 

 direction I may mention that I had shown to me last 

 spring a Hen Harrier's nest within forty miles of 

 London, and although it was found and photographed 

 by several different naturalists of the new school the 

 old birds carried away two young ones in safety. 



It is devoutly to be wished that some of the 

 collectors who are doing so much harm to our 

 rarest breeding birds would either follow this worthy 

 example, or, at any rate, moderate their depreda- 

 tions to the taking of one clutch. When one man 

 can take three or four clutches of eggs belonging 

 to a rare and interesting species, and another shoot, 

 in spite of the law, eight specimens at one shot, of a 

 bird that used to breed regularly in our islands, 

 and would do so again if allowed, the true bird lover 

 is left in despair over the prospects of every species 

 that can be called " rare." Once this unfortunate 

 adjective can be applied to a bird a premium is put 

 upon its skin and eggs. It is a curious kind of 

 morality that will scorn to steal from the individual 

 and yet rob the community without compunction. 

 Wild birds are National property, and no individual 

 has a right to harm one of them without the sanction 

 of the law to do so. 



I plead earnestly for our rare breeding birds 

 in danger of extinction. It is far more interesting 

 to any man who can be called an ornithologist and 



