348 jYo^cs aud C^ommcnts. 



have been lent to the British Museum for examination and 

 comparison with other specimens. Dr. Woodward confirms 

 the observations of previous writers as to the resemblance and 

 difference between this Triassic reptile and the existing- 

 Sphcnodoii. It is more specialised in many respects than its 

 surviving- representative. It is also fairly certain that Rhvncho- 

 saunis was more amphibious than Sphenodon. 



THK IXGLETON PEREGRIXKS. 

 Referring- to our Comment on pag-e 203 of the Jul\' 

 'Naturalist,' the Secretary of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union 

 communicated with the authorities, and eventually the case 

 was tried. Perhaps the following- note, written by the natural 

 history editor of the Yofkshhe Weekly Post, will explain 

 the present position of the matter: — 'The Chairman of the 

 Ing-leton Parish Council, who is also a farmer and " honorar}' 

 assistant g-amekeeper " to the owner of the land at Ingleboroug-h, 

 has been prosecuted before the Ing^leton Bench of Mag^istrates 

 for "attempting- to shoot falcons on May 15," and, as the 

 Scotch verdict has it, the charg-e was found "not proven." 

 There are only three points in this case worth drawing attention 

 to. The alleg-ed offence took place on May 15, the prosecution 

 on Aug-ust 8, and it was frankly admitted that the authorities 

 had been g-oaded into action by the press comments, more 

 particularly the Lmicastey Observer, in which the gfross outrag^e 

 of the law was first published. The usual defence was set up 

 that the reporter had not g-iven an accurate report of what 

 defendant told him, and this was supplemented by the very 

 unusual explanation that the defendant did not fire at the birds, 

 but at a rock in order to g-et rid of his last cartridge ! This is 

 interesting- as revealing- the survival of a custom of the ancient 

 muzzle-loading, pre-cartridge days. A careful gunner (who has 

 to pay for his own cartridges) usually draws his last one and 

 preserves it for some other occasion ; gamekeepers (" honorary " 

 or otherwise) appear to "do things differently" in the Ingleton 

 neighbourhood, otherwise their Worships might have acted 

 differently. The opinion of a witness (in this case a paid 

 gamekeeper) on the absurdity of the Wild Birds' Protection Act 

 is also valuable, but not novel — among persons of his stamp. 

 A hint from his employer might enlighten him on the humble 

 duty of obeying- the law, at least until we have gamekeepers' 

 law as our guide. The practical value of this case lies in the 

 authorities being al last "goaded " into action by the Press.' 



Naturalist, 



