2134 The Zoologist— May, 1870. 



of others, is due to two principal causes — "the over-zealous destruction 

 of creatures that are supposed to be enemies to game," and the 

 merciless slaughter of our birds by the hedge-row pot-hunters. 



A third cause is one that springs directly from a wise and proper 

 origin, but one which I ani afraid is often carried to an extreme — a 

 desire to add to our ornithological knowledge by procuring specimens 

 for our private collections. Almost any number of your interesting 

 and valuable magazine is largely filled up by a record of " rare cap- 

 tures," which in too many cases amounts to the total destruction of 

 the flocks of rare visitors who may have been unfortunate enough to 

 land on the shores of Great Britain. What I want to ask is this. 

 Can we not do something to stem the tide of destruction ? Would it 

 be feasible or beneficial to endeavour to form throughout the country 

 a Society for the protection of birds in general ? 



I think the Sea-birds Preservation Act will sufficiently protect 

 those species if the law is carried out in its integrity, and I am looking 

 forward with great interest for this season's report, whether the sea 

 fowl have increased at Flamborough and other English nurseries of 

 rock birds. 1 trust that conlribulors to the 'Zoologist' will pay 

 attention to this, and record the result of their observations. 



1 think that Mr. Lowe's proposed tax on fire-arms will in a great 

 measure obliterate the worthless senseless destroyers of our song- 

 birds and smaller land birds. There will still be left to contend with 

 a large class of persons who have the power to destroy and exter- 

 minate species, but, I am happy to say, a class amenable to reason 

 and open to conviction, and who doubtless, as the subject is more 

 fully ventilated, as it soon must be, will lend their powerful support 

 to the protection of birds — I mean the proprietors of Great Britaui. 

 There are several proprietors of my acquaintance who lend a vvilUng 

 and kindly hand to the good cause of the protection of bird-life, and 

 as a growing interest in this matter appears to be springing up, I look 

 forward to the time when this feeling will be paramount throughout 

 the length and breadth of the land. I am afraid that my love for the 

 subiect on which 1 am writing may lead me to occupy loo much of 

 your space, and to impose on the patience of your readers, but if the 

 remarks now penned by me in one single instance restricts the useless 

 destruction of a bird, they will not have been written in vain. 



H. W. Feiluen. 



Chester Castle, April 14, 1870. 



