106 WILD BIRD PROTECTION 



to make provision suitable to local circumstances, and 

 to obtain orders, on due reason shown, from the Secre- 

 tary of State, prohibiting the taking of eggs of specified 

 kinds of birds within their jurisdiction, or, if preferred, 

 the taking of all eggs within strictly denned areas. 

 Further elasticity was secured by provision for the 

 limited duration of such orders, which may be made to 

 run for one year or more. Power was also given to 

 extend the close- time provided in the act of 1880 to 

 any wild bird not included in the schedule thereof, and 

 to vary that close time to cover any part of the year, or 

 the whole of it. 



County councils have availed themselves very exten- 

 sively of their optional powers under the act of 1894, 

 and already experience has proved the advantage of 

 the discretionary liberty accorded to them. In the 

 anxiety to protect interesting and vanishing species, 

 protection has been obtained for certain birds, which, 

 were they allowed to multiply unchecked, would become 

 a serious nuisance. Thus the county council of Suther- 

 land obtained an order prohibiting the slaughter of 

 golden eagles, which a few years ago had become 

 exceedingly rare. Already these noble birds have 

 increased to such an extent that sheep-farmers are 

 suffering loss in the matter of lambs. Had some per- 

 sons obtained their way in 1894, the killing of eagles 

 or taking their eggs would have been made penal 

 under an act applied uniformly to every county in the 

 kingdom, and until that act were repealed no redress 

 could have been had by those who suffered. As matters 



