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content to allow the ist of August, as specified by the Act, to 

 stand. On the 16th of July a gunner may then shoot with 

 impunity a gull at one side of the River Lagan, which divides 

 the two counties ; but if another gunner shoots the gull's mate 

 at the'other side of the river, he may be taken before a magistrate 

 and fined 20s. There is a peculiarity in the last clause of 

 section 3 of the new Act, which, in Mr. Taylor's judgment, 

 greatly impairs the catholic character of the Act, and places 

 under the control of private fancy or caprice the killing or cap- 

 ture of all birds not in the privileged schedule. In other words, 

 this clause seems to place the owner or occupier of the land, or 

 any one delegated by him, above both the letter and spirit of 

 the Act. The words run thus : — " This section (namely, No. 3, 

 specifying the penalties) shall not apply to the owner or occupier 

 of any land, or to any person authorised by the owner or occu- 

 pier of any land, killing or taking any wild bird on such land, 

 not included in the schedule hereto annexed." Such a permis- 

 sion seems to contradict the very basis of the Act stated in 

 the preamble, which says, " Whereas it is expedient to provide 

 for the Protection of Wild Birds of the United Kingdom during 

 the Breeding Season." How the expediency of the protection 

 is in any way done away with by the honour of being done 

 to death by a landlord or by some one delegated by him, Mr. 

 Taylor failed to see. A curious legal point has already arisen 

 in connection with the clause — namely, does this admitted pri- 

 vilege of capture and killing justify possession or exposure for 

 sale? At Hull, on the 28th of March this year, this case was 

 tried, and the magistrate, after a day's consideration, decided it 

 did not justify exposure for sale. The want of provision for guard- 

 ing eggs seems to be a serious defect in the present Act. It seems, 

 strange to say, the law will take no cognisance of the germ 

 which developes into the chick, but only comes into force when 

 the chick emerges from the shell. The eggs, at least, of such 

 birds as breed in colonies, and are, therefore, much more ex- 

 posed, should be protected for some limited time of the breeding 

 season. The ten or eleven weeks from the 15th of May till the 

 15th August would be sufficient to ensure the sea-birds at our 



