116 Notes and Comments. 
Keeping one for his own collection, he would have all the rest 
to exchange with other members. Such collections might 
grow very quickly.’ Quite so; and no doubt they would. 
But everybody would not rest satisfied with pheasant’s eggs 
even for 6d. a year, and there are not many other kinds that 
he would find “ more than a dozen of,’ which had been ‘ aban- 
doned.’ Theoretically, egg collectors may be honest ; possibly 
some are; practically, we know many who are not. To an 
‘ enthusiastic ’ collector, particularly if he is getting good prices 
for rare eggs, there is just a temptation to be rather hasty in 
judging whether eggs are ‘abandoned’ or not. If the bird 
is not on the eggs when the ‘ legitimate egg collector’ puts 
his hand upon them, they may be said to be ‘ abandoned.’ 
Possibly in most cases they then are! No. We are inclined 
to follow the lead of Mr. Riley Fortune in his address and to 
look upon egg collecting as a dangerous habit. For this 
reason we consider a ‘ legitimate egg collectors’ society,’ not- 
withstanding its ideals, is likely to do more harm than good. 
After a while a ‘ collector’ will want more than eggs of pheas- 
ants, hens and ducks, and he will become more like the par- 
ticular eggs he is seeking—' abandoned.’ 
USPORT., 
We have recently been reading an article on ‘ Sport in the 
Hampshire Chalk Dells’ in a contemporary, which, we should 
say, was written by a very young contributor. For instance 
we learn that ‘’Tis then Reynard finds his cosy corner in the 
old dells and frequently when least expected, that Lynx-eyed 
whips “ Tally Ho, forward away”’ breaks the monotony as 
he views the quarry breasting yonder hill. What a crash for 
a few seconds, necks are strained, reins tightened, the straight 
ones for the post and rails, the crooked for the nearest gate. 
What a merry burst 40 minutes a regular cracker for men and 
horses. The huntsman’s whoops ending in the death of a 
good straight naked Fox. Long may the old dells respond to 
the call in providing a good fox for those that are well wishers 
for all kinds of sport. The gun every month brings its different 
variety for the sportsman ; to the pigeon shooter the old dells 
are ideal resorts. When these pests of the farmer are feeding 
on the newly sown corn, clover, or turnip tops where birds 
resort thither to rest and digest the greedy repasts their capa- 
clous crops contain.’ 
RABBITS. 
And again :— A wounded one means trouble (ah, many a 
time have I cussed my chums miss) for shattering Jimmy’s 
hinder leg, which generally ends in a long wait for a ferret, as 
I have previously stated a great many of the earths are 
impregnable to spade, at the same time the latter should always 
Naturalist, 
