82 Fortune: Birds rcij it iriu if Protection in Yorkshire. 



county who persist in this course, even ^oinj^- to the extent of 

 obtainin": access to protected g-rounds, on the pretence of beinj^- 

 anxious to see the birds, being- wishful to obtain photog-raphs, 

 or some similar excuse, and when the secrets have been revealed, 

 afterwards sneaking- back and clearing the ground of eggs. I 

 have even heard of them pacing lads so much each for curlew's 

 eg-g-s, and coming awa}- from certain districts with a basketful. 

 Conduct like this is reprehensible and abominable ; if persisted 

 in it will result in these people having their names pilloried (they 

 are well known) and held up to the scorn of all true naturalists. 

 It IS, therefore, necessary for some stringfent order to be 

 passed and effecti\e means adopted so that its provisions may be 

 enforced to protect our birds against these wholesale destroyers. 

 I think it all naturalists' societies in the county were to pass 

 resolutions asking the County Council to go forward with this 

 matter, it would strengthen the hands of the Union considerably, 

 and in the meantime local efforts to protect any special or rare 

 bird might be effective. 



Spurn Point, the only breeding place of the Lesser Tern in 

 the county, has been declared a sanctuary by the County Council 

 of the East Riding, but unfortunately there is no one to see that 

 these orders are carried out, and to my knowledge the eggs of 

 this bird and those of the Ring- Plover are regularly taken. 

 Some years ago subscriptions were obtained, and a watcher 

 employed during the breeding- season to look after these birds, 

 but for some reason this system was abandoned ; it would be a 

 good thing if it could be resuscitated. I am sure the editor 

 would be glad to receive subscriptions for the purpose, and the 

 Wild Birds' Protection Committee would see they were employed 

 with g-ood effect. 



The following is a list of birds which are in urgent need of 

 protection. 



Peregrine Falcon. — There are now only two, or at the most 

 three, pairs endeavouring to nest in llie county, but they fail 

 absolutel}- in their attempts to bring off their young. For years 

 I ha\e had their nests under obser\ation, being particularly 

 anxious to secure a photog-raph of young birds, but the eggs 

 have invariably been taken, on several occasions when on the 

 point of hatching. One cliff has to my knowledge been in- 

 habited by a pair of falcons for a quarter of a century, and 

 during- that lime they have not reared half a dozen broods. 

 Unless we can give these few adequate protection, thev ^vi" 

 soon be extinct as V'orkshire nesting species. 



Naturalist, 



