Notes and Comments. 339 



his ancient stock, I tliink it would be something gained for the 

 ethical outlook of humanity- and it would be a belief consistent 

 with present knowledge. 



BKx'DS AND EGGS. 



The .Secretary of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union Wild 

 Birds' Eggs Protection Committee, has received the following 

 letter from the County Hall, Wakefield : — ' The Ingleton 

 Parish Council have written that there seems to have been a 

 wanton destruction of all kinds of birds' eggs both in 1917 

 and 1918, especially of plover. That farmers are lately com- 

 plaining about the heavy damage by the innumerable cater- 

 pillars this spring both to the foliage of trees and grass land, 

 and make no hesitation in saying that the destruction of 

 birds' eggs and the shooting of all kinds of winter birds is 

 responsible for the plague. The Parish Council ask that the 

 Close Time for killing of plover should be extended throughout 

 the year and that eggs of all birds should be protected. x\t 

 present plovers' eggs may be taken up to the 15th of April. 

 The view has been placed before the County Council that the 

 destruction of plover, which are extremely numerous and form 

 an important article of food, is comparatively small as they 

 are difficult to shoot in the winter and netting is seldom resorted 

 to in this country. As regards their eggs, it is a well attested 

 fact that although they do not continue to brood a fresh 

 clutch of eggs at intervals during the months of April, May 

 and June, as long as these are collected. The result is that 

 under the present measure of September to after the 15th April 

 they may be practically relied upon to rear a brood of voung 

 during the spring or summer.' 



plovers' eggs. 



'That, as a matter of fact, the taking of their early eggs is 

 often a blessing in disguise, as owing to the absence of herbage 

 and the prevalence of late frosts in the early spring, both eggs 

 and young run far more risk of destruction at this season than 

 at a later date. Also, that the majority of plovers, which nest 

 on the high ground at Ingleton, resort in vast lots during the 

 winter to the low land and estuaries where food is more plen- 

 tiful. The West Riding General Purposes Committee are con- 

 sidering whether further protection should be extended to 

 plovers and their eggs, and they will be glad if the Yorkshire 

 Naturalists' Union have any evidence as to the destruction 

 of plover and the reduction in their numbers and their in- 

 fluence upon the plague of caterpillars.' If any of our readers 

 have any remarks to make upon the question, perhaps they will 

 communicate with Mr. Johnson Wilkinson, ^^ermont, Hudders- 

 field. 



