6 ON THE SKA-BIRDS PRESERVATION Ml. 



all they can for their own profit, but still the numbers decrease 

 not, except, perhaps, in a few localities. 



Nature understands her own arrangements best ; she provides 

 food for all her creatures. It seems impossible for a thoughtful 

 man on fair consideration to imagine that the few fishes Cormo- 

 rants eat could interfere with the Salmon supply. When the 

 young Salmon go from the rivers to the sea, they have to run the 

 gauntlet of many dangers before again entering the rivers. All 

 Nature's creatures must pay their portion of debt; they were 

 all made to eat and to be destroyed or eaten. In Nature's won- 

 derful arrangement there are, with very few exceptions indeed, 

 generally plenty left to continue the species and for all other 

 purposes. 



It may I think be taken for granted that there are always more 

 than double the number produced of every species than is neces- 

 sary for reproducing and multiplying the species; the rest are 

 for the good of other species in the shape of food. 



I would hope that the extended close-time may be treated as 

 a dead letter except in cases where punishment may be justly 

 merited. There are several species of shore-birds not mentioned 

 in the Act. Are we to understand the order to be a prohibition to 

 carry a gun at all till the first of September ? or who is to decide 

 what may be shot ? A person surely should not be summoned for 

 shooting birds not mentioned in the Act ; but how is this to be 

 managed, as it is not possible to turn either a magistrate or an 

 informer at once into a naturalist? The only method, I can see, 

 to preserve the birds, would be to make the eggs belong to the 

 owners of the ground, and leave it to them to prosecute for theft 

 or not as they choose. 



I cannot help thinking that some method might be adopted for 

 preserving the birds and their eggs on the Fame Islands. These 

 islands are one of the most interesting of the breeding places of 

 sea fowl on our coasts, and if they were in the keeping of Go- 

 vi inment or the Trinity House they could be easily protected 

 (as it is only in fine weather that boats can land) by the men 

 who are in their employ, who, having good glasses, could dis- 

 tinguish boats at a great distance. Could it not be arranged to 



