PEEWITS THE SEVERE WINTER OF 1894-95 189 



tious doubt that will lead to no end of vexatious 

 prosecutions. ... I consider the Egg Bill as 

 applied to private property a possibly very un- 

 fair interference with private rights, and in any 

 case a very difficult measure to administer with 

 justice. With regard to Peewits, their eggs have 

 a distinct commercial value, and if landowners 

 do not care to protect the eggs, they must 

 take the consequences. Peewits have increased 

 enormously with us since they were protected 

 by law in the breeding season, and nowadays 

 I get double the number of eggs that I used to 

 do in former years, both in this county and in 

 Lancashire. If the eggs are carefully taken 

 with a view to the increase of the birds, there is 

 no fear of serious diminution of the breed. Any 

 healthy female Peewit will lay twelve eggs, of 

 which eight or nine may be taken, leaving her 

 three or four to hatch out. . . .' 



To F. D. Drewitt. 



1 Lilford : February 18, 1895. 



1 Thank you very much for yours of the 7th, 

 begun at La Coruna and finished in Vigo Bay, 



