8 OX THE SEA-BIRDS PHESEBVATION ACT, 



get food and to form food for others. The few birds killed from 

 these hordes by man with all his contrivances, nets and decoys 

 included, both in going to and coming from this breeding ground, 

 amount to nothing. The prohibition against taking these birds 

 whenever they can be procured in this country is simply of no 

 use so far as extinction of the species is concerned. Each species 

 undoubtedly has a very extensive breeding ground, and the sup- 

 ply from it is and will be next to inexhaustible so long as those 

 lands remain in a state of nature. Neither can you bring back 

 the birds which have been forced to leave us ; not that they have 

 been shot, but because the character of their former breeding 

 grounds is altered and limited to such an extent as to prevent 

 them having room to obtain sufficient subsistence. This cannot 

 be helped ; but what is wanted is protection for the species which 

 will condescend to remain with us under the altered circum- 

 stances. It is entirely out of man's power to make a migratory 

 bird remain a day beyond its appointed time, and it always will 

 be so. 



There are no such things as rare birds; those which appear 

 such to us are in reality only birds out of their regular places, and 

 they require no protection. The birds requiring protection are 

 those which either are or ought to be our useful and familial- 

 friends. We should take care of these. The others are not 

 worth protecting; they only afford interesting specimens for a 

 Natural History Collection, which really is their fittest place, 

 as they illustrate the extent to which these erratic species travel. 



It is not shooting migratory birds or even snaring and trapping 

 them in decoys which materially lessens their numbers ; this is 

 proved by the extraordinary number of wild fowl often taken in 

 a single day, and their constant replacement day after day so long 

 as the locality suits their habits and the season is favourable. 

 Also the number of Quails taken in Europe, even when journey- 

 ing to their breeding grounds, which practice has prevailed a 

 length of time, does not materially lessen the supply for the 

 year. The number of Skylarks netted each winter and sold 

 in the London markets also corroborates this. None of these 

 methods of destruction appear t<> have thinned their ranks to any 



