108 ox TIIE SEA-BIltDS I'UESEllVATlOX ACT. 



VI. — A NaturaUsf 8 View of the Extension of the Close-Time of 

 the Sea-Birds Preservation Act in Northumherland, and on the 

 protection of wild Birds generally. By Chas. Murray Adamsox. 



A FEAV weeks ago I observed in tlie newspapers that the Home- 

 Secretary had extended the close-time in this county, Northum- 

 berland, fi'om the 1st day of August to the 1st day of September. 



I presume this has especial reference to the birds breeding at 

 the Fame Islands. These Islands are I believe private property, 

 and are let at an annual rental : the consequence of this is that 

 a great number of the eggs are gathered for sale. In addition to 

 this the poor birds during the summer are disturbed and ill-treated 

 by the numerous steamboat loads of people, often lawless, whom I 

 am told sometimes overawe the few persons residing on the Is- 

 lands who ought to be the bird protectors. Under the circum- 

 stances, however, I rather question their being so. If they arc 

 allowed to make as much money as they can from the eggs, they 

 of coui'se take those eggs which are most uncommon, and which 

 bring the highest prices, and thus the rarer species suffer most. 



When I visited these Islands early in July, 1875, the keeper 

 of the outer lighthouse, who said he had been there only a short 

 time, told me his predecessor had a large family, and that during 

 the summer time they had lived almost entirely on the eggs. 

 He had himself a number of eggs ready blown, several of which 

 I bought for my children at three sliillings a dozen. At that 

 time there were some young birds, among them Puffins nearly 

 full grown, one of which we took fi'ora a hole and returned : 

 there were also eggs of most of the kinds of birds wliich breed 

 on tlie Islands. Near the end of the muntli there were young 

 Gulls and Terns, some flying, on the inner Islands, but we could 

 not find one young Oyster Catcher, nor did we see old Oyster 

 Catchers flying about and showing, as they always do by their 

 anxiety, that they had young. I therefore presume none got 

 away that year, for wo looked pretty closely, as the commandei 

 of the gun-boat whom wc were with wanted one for a pet. That 

 year one Slieldrake's nest was found on the Island, but our in- 

 formant living then f<.1.1 us he had taken the eggs himself. 



