208 PLEA FOR RARE BIRDS. [PART II. 



it strikes me, be deservedly applied to many of 

 our soi-disant naturalists, looking to their recep- 

 tion and treatment of any bird whose misfortune 

 it may be to be considered rare, and which may 

 be compelled by stress of weather, or induced 

 by other causes in misplaced confidence to visit 

 our shores. The intelligence that such an un- 

 happy immigrant has appeared is generally the 

 signal for every one who pretends to the slightest 

 knowledge of ornithology to turn out gun in 

 hand bent on its destruction, the excitement 

 of pursuit being probably only allayed by an an- 

 nouncement in the county paper headed, "Rare 

 Bird," a too familiar type of which is as follows : 

 "On Saturday last that enthusiastic and accom- 

 plished ornithologist, Mr Snooks, was so fortunate 

 as to obtain two specimens, male and female, of 

 that rare bird the Peregrinus Jldens. They had 

 been for some time observed in the neighbourhood, 

 and many of our naturalists had been eagerly on 

 the watch to secure them. We heartily congra- 

 tulate our esteemed fellow-townsman on the 

 attainment of this trophy, which will serve to add 

 new lustre to his already celebrated name. From 

 the fact that the female bird had a feather in her 

 bill, when she was shot, there can be no doubt 



