GREAT SKUAS 155 



successful protection of the Ospreys in Scotland. He 

 also took an active interest in the (at one time) precarious 

 fate of the Great Skuas in Shetland : 



I learn with much gratification the result of your 

 interviews with Mrs. Traill, to the effect that Mr. Gilmour 

 is determined to afford effectual protection to the 

 Bonxies on Foula. I have no doubt that the Society for 

 the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals would easily and 

 readily find fit watchers for next season. But I am 

 always most anxious that the protection of birds should 

 not be overdone, as I see great danger of its being. Given 

 absolute protection to the breeding birds during a proper 

 " close-time," I am convinced that a certain proportion 

 of eggs may be safely taken without detriment to the 

 species. This is the result of very general experience 

 during a great many years, and herein I find the present 

 law so very objectionable ; but still so long as it is law 

 it must be obeyed. 



If it were possible to allow people to take Bonxies' 

 eggs up to a certain day (what the day should be I don't 

 pretend to know) but not to take a single egg after that 

 day, the people would have no grievance and I am sure 

 that the birds would not be less numerous. This, how- 

 ever, is a consideration rather for legislators than for 

 others, though such permission would enable the law, as 

 it is, to be more strictly enforced, without any appearance 

 of hardship. I know it was intended by those who had 

 to do with the last Act of Parliament, but by their 

 blundering ignorance, and the reading of the Act adopted 

 by the English Home Office, which I believe was adopted 

 by the Secretary for Scotland, the liberal interpretation 

 was rejected, and the consequence has been very dis- 

 astrous in many cases.* 



The anomalies of the law were intensely irritating to 

 him, and perhaps caused him to say unduly hard things 

 of the legislators. 



* A.N to W. Eagle Clarke, July 16, 1900. 



