272 LORD LILFORD 



circular, proposing the formation of a syndicate 

 whose members should invest various sums as 

 shares in a fund to enable the advertiser to visit 

 the Orkneys and Shetland Islands to collect 

 birds' eggs, the plunder to be divided according 

 to the respective amount of subscriptions. The 

 eggs of the Great Skua were specially mentioned 

 as likely to be the most valuable result of this 

 looting adventure. 



' In the interest of birds in general, and this 

 bird in particular, I at once sent the circular 

 above mentioned with an indignant protest to 

 the Editor of the Times ; Mr. Wilson Noble, 

 M.P. for Hastings, with whom I had no ac- 

 quaintance or correspondence, did the same, and 

 a strong leading article on the subject of the 

 destruction of rare birds appeared in the Times 

 simultaneously with these communications. 

 The result of all this was that the editor of one 

 of the leading papers in Birmingham received 

 an evening visit from the author of the circular, 

 who, in fear and trembling and dread of in- 

 carceration in the clock tower at Westminster, 

 begged that his advertisement might be with- 

 drawn from circulation, and confessed that it 



