1889.] CHAMBERLAIN, Birds of Southern Greenland. 291 
was a large one, and the birds must have formed a nesting of con- 
siderable extent in some region so remote that no news of its 
presence reached the ears of the vigilant netters. Thus it is prob- 
able that enough Pigeons are left to re-stock the West, provided 
that laws, sufficiently stringent to give them fair protection, be at 
once enacted. The present laws of Michigan and Wisconsin are 
simply worse than useless, for, while they prohibit disturbing the 
birds wzthzx the nesting, they allow unlimited netting only a few 
miles beyond its outskirts during the entire breeding season. 
The theory is that the birds are so infinitely numerous that their 
ranks are not seriously thinned by catching a few million of breed- 
ing birds in a summer, and that the only danger to be guarded 
against is that of frightening themaway by the use of guns or nets 
in the woods where their nests are placed. The absurdity of such 
reasoning is self-evident but, singularly enough, the netters, many 
of whom struck me as intelligent and honest men, seem really to 
believe in it. As they have more or less local influence, and, in 
addition, the powerful backing of the large game dealers in the 
cities, it is not likely that any really effectual laws can be passed 
until the last of our Passenger Pigeons are preparing to follow 
the Great Auk and the American Bison. 
SOME ACCOUNT OF THE BIRDS OF SOUTHERN 
GREENLAND, FROM THE MSS. OF 
A. HAGERUP. 
EDITED BY MONTAGUE CHAMBERLAIN. 
(Concluded from p. 218.) 
Halizétus albicilla. Gray SEA EAGLE.—A common resident; breeds. 
It is most numerous in the vicinity of Ivigtut in winter. On November 24, 
1886, some ten or twelve examples were seen, and on December 18, fourteen 
were counted. It is probable that some migrate here from farther north, 
and when the weather is bad by the open sea they retire up the fjord, for 
on both the occasions just noted, their appearance had been preceded by 
heavy storms of wind accompanied by snow. 
