FOUR RULES 83 



their protection, is to encourage him to form 

 a collection of their eggs. I have known 

 many boys who were enthusiastic egg- 

 collectors, and there was not one of them 

 who would either have been cruel to a bird, 

 or have permitted another to be so, if it were 

 in his power to prevent it. 



Four rules should be scrupulously ob- 

 served 



1. Never take the eggs of game birds, or 

 of birds protected by law. 



2. Never take more than one or two eggs 

 from a nest. 



3. Never take ' hard-set ' eggs. 



4. Never damage the nest itself. 



With respect to the first of those rules, it 

 has to be observed that pheasants, partridges, 

 grouse, black-game, and bustards are game, 

 and their eggs are not to be taken without 

 permission. There are also a large number 

 of birds whose eggs are protected under the 

 Wild Birds' Protection Acts. The regula- 

 tions on this point vary in different counties. 

 The following list contains a number of the 

 names of birds which are commonly scheduled. 

 I would recommend that the eggs of these 



