Protection of Wild Life in Yorkshire. 129 
could not help being struck with what appeared to be a great 
scarcity of these birds from Withernsea to Spurn Point, a 
district in which they were formerly very abundant. It is 
curious to note what a prolonged breeding season Corn Buntings 
have. I have found nests with fresh eggs well into September. 
Bird catchers are greatly responsible for the decrease in 
the ranks of the Linnet, one of the most charming of our 
finches. The clearance of many waste grounds has also had 
some influence in their departure. Both causes too, have 
helped to deplete the numbers of Lesser Redpolls. The most 
unfortunate fact in connection with the wholesale trapping 
of our wild birds, is that comparatively few of them survive 
capture beyond a few days. A popular linnet-cage measures 
only about 6 inches by 9g inches by 3 inches. One can imagine 
the effect upon a wild bird when it is cribbed and confined to 
such a narrow space. To scan the advertisements in the 
papers devoted to the cage-bird fancy is very sad reading. 
Scores of advertisements are there, offering Linnets from Is. 6d. 
per dozen, and many other species of British birds at the same 
rates. Some offer twenty-four mixed seed eaters for Is. 6d., 
better ones at Is. per dozen. Traffic of this kind is abominable 
and should be prohibited by the laws of the land. 
The Bullfinch, partially from the same cause, and partially 
from his habit of attacking the buds of fruit trees, has sadly 
diminished in numbers. Investigation would in many cases 
prove that most birds condemned on account of this habit, 
were really not after the bud, but for the grub contained 
therein, which in any case would prevent its development. 
Partridges have for some time been on the down grade, 
the cause of their decrease being without doubt the increasing 
quantity of arable land that has been laid down as pasture. 
One result of the war may be that an increased acreage of land 
will possibly be brought under cultivation for corn, with a cor- 
responding increase in the Partridge population. Quails were 
at one time not uncommonly met with nesting here, now they 
very rarely do so. The netting of thousands of them on their 
migration routes is responsible for the decrease. Most of us 
remember that years ago almost every meadow held a pair of 
Corn Crakes, and their peculiar call could be heard on all 
sides » now one can almost go through a whole summer without 
hearing them. Mr. Wade says they have disappeared entirely 
from Holderness. The universal use of reaping machines 
which destroy not only the nests but the birds themselves, is 
the cause of this lamentable decrease. Many Corncrakes and 
other birds also are destroyed annually by dashing against 
the telegraph wires which now run like net work over the land. 
Black Game were at one time so abundant in some parts of 
the county, that according to Sir Ralph Payne Gallwey, a 
1916 April 1. 
I 
