152 FRANCIS ORPEN MORRIS 



He added : "One of these would-be sportsmen laid 

 a wager that he would shoot eighty sea-birds within 

 an hour, and he had the discredit and disgrace of 

 having succeeded in doing so. In fact, the very 

 tameness of the birds, through the unwonted pro- 

 tection extended to them for the summer months, 

 proved in the end an element of danger to them. 

 As was truly stated, 'they trust in our humanity, 

 and suffer in consequence.' " 



It was in consequence of the inadequacy of the 

 first Act for the protection of the sea-birds, and 

 of the fact that the land-birds needed as much pro- 

 tection almost as those on the sea-board, that Mr. 

 Morris continued unremittingly to move for further 

 measures, though it would need an entire volume 

 to give anything like a full account of the part he 

 took in this movement. What added so much to 

 his labours was the circumstance that legislation 

 on the subject was effected piecemeal. First there 

 was the Sea-Birds Act, the close time specified 

 therein being too short for the purpose designed ; 

 then the extension had to be authorised by the 

 magistrates in Quarter Sessions. When, after much 

 urging, this had been accomplished, there then 

 came Mr. Dillwyn's Act repealing the former one 

 and going back to the original close time, so that 

 the agitation for an extension of the close season 

 had to be undertaken a second time ; indeed, the 

 changes were so frequent that the matter never 

 seemed at rest. 



He did not consider that agriculture would suffer 



