84 Fort ti lie : Birds ri'(/uirin<r Protection in Yorkshire. 



trade. I think that I am well within the mark if I say that 

 not one bird in a dozen captured lives more than a day or two ; 

 the rest, crowded to^-ether in a vitiated atmosphere, with 

 unsuitable food, perish miserably, while the amount of cruelty 

 practised is appallinj^-. Bird-catchers are a curse to the 

 country. 



Kino/is/ier. This, our handsomest bird, should have abso- 

 lute protection, both aj^ainst the eg-g-collector and the man who 

 fancies haviui^ them in a g-lass case, or the lady who would like 

 one in her hat. They are harmless to anyone's interests, as 

 their food consists chiefly of minnows and other small fry. 

 Of course, if they g"ain access to trout-reariui^ ponds they 

 play havoc, but it should be comparatively easy to keep 

 them out. 



Lapwing. — I am astonished that farmers ever allow the eg"g"s 

 of this bird to be leathered. They are the best friends the 

 ai^riculturists have. Many districts I know, where they used to 

 be common, but continual persecution has driven them to seek 

 fresh pastures until there is hardly one pair where formerly were 

 twenty. 



Stone Curlew. — One or two pairs still endeavour to nest 

 with us, but the efforts of the collector effectually prevent them 

 adding to their numbers. A most interesting bird, it would be 

 a thousand pities if they were turned out of the county bv cease- 

 less persecution. Only absolute protection, both for themselves 

 and their eg^g^s, can save them. 



Dotterel and Diuilin. — There is probably only one pair of 

 the first mentioned in the county and not many of the second. 

 Their egfgfs should be protected for some years. 



Ring Plover^ Oystercatcher, Lesser Tern. — There are only 

 two places in the county where the first-named species nests, 

 and only one where the other two are foimd. In these cases 

 their ej^j^s should be strictly protected, and also those of the 

 odd pair of S/ieldncks, which nest in the same locality. 



Ducks. — Some of the rarer species of ducks are extendingf 

 their rang^e, and if they were allowed to nest in security would 

 no doubt become much more common ; for this reason the egfgfs 

 of the following- should have the utmost protection afforded : — 

 Shoveler, Wig-eon, Teal, Pochard, and Tufted Duck. 



Great Crested Grebe. — This fine species, like some of the 

 ducks, is extending- its rang-e in the county, and would become 

 more plentiful if it were not so persecuted by eg-g^-collectors. 

 Both birds and their cg-g-s require absolute protection for some 



Naturalist, 



