The Zoologist— April, 1869. 1637 



nance. The earlier the beginning of the close season was dated from 

 the better. 



The Hon. W. O. Stanley, M.P., spoke of the protection against 

 shipwreck sea-birds afforded on the coast, and read a letter in which 

 the testimony of the brethren of Trinity-house, to the same effect, was 

 emphatically given. He felt that permission to take eggs in certain 

 localities would render the proposed Bill inoperative. Perhaps a 

 clause might be inserted in which the cases of taking eggs on inland 

 lakes might be excepted. He thought that the close-season should 

 date from about the 12th of April to the 12th of August. He sug- 

 gested that in cases where sea-birds were necessary as articles of 

 food, magistrates and sheriffs might be empowered to grant licences 

 for killing them. 



Lord Alfred Chui-chill thought the Act should apply to the coast 

 within one mile of the foreshore. 



Mr. Winn, M. P., spoke of the increase in the number of birds which 

 had occurred in North Lincolnshire since the killing of them had 

 been prohibited. He thought that the close-season should begin about 

 the 12th of March and end about the middle of July, when the young 

 birds were quite strong on the wing and able to protect themselves. 



In reply to a question from Mr. Cavendish Taylor, the chairman 

 said it was proposed to extend the provisions of the Bill to Ireland. 



In reply to a question from Mr. Banting, it was stated that while 

 100,000 sea-birds per year were killed for mere pleasure, only 12,000 

 were killed for purposes of trade. 



Dr. Crisp said that a gull would destroy a ton of fish in the course 

 of a year. He did not mean that literally, as the fish had not attained 

 their full size, but what a gull consumed in the year represented that 

 amount. 



The Rev. F. H. Barnes said that gulls generally caught the fry of 

 whiting. Say that the gulls consumed 2,000,000 or 3,000,000 of these 

 fry in the year, in the same time whitings would destroy 900,000,000 

 fry of herrings and other fish. 



The Hon. W. O. Stanley said that if the sailors of England were 

 polled they would be found to be in favour of sea-birds, on account of 

 the warning of danger their presence often afforded. In the Isle of 

 Man there was a law in force, which possessed very stringent pro- 

 visions regarding the destruction of these birds. 



Dr. Giinther was of opinion that the cormorant should be omitted 

 from the list of birds to be protected, on the ground that it is very 



