124 ON THE SEA-BIHDi? PRESEKVATIOX ACT, 



Taking the whole system of game-preserving into considera- 

 tion and the expenses attending it, it would seem almost a 

 question, now that money is taken into account in all such 

 transactions, whether the great expense required in preserving 

 is compensated by the equivalent amusement and money returns 

 for the game got and sold. That is, it seems a question if what 

 are considered vermin were allowed to exist, and trusty serv^ants 

 onlj' kept to protect their master's property, birds, eggs, and 

 other things, whether the great saving in expense would not be 

 met by having a sufficiency of game, and a great deal more plea- 

 sure in obtaining it, than by the present system of heavy bags, 

 got at enonnous expense, and in such quantities at a time, as to 

 be almost useless to the proprietors except in the return he gets 

 in money from the dealers. 



I am quite unable to imagine how any liberal-minded natural- 

 ists could sanction such changes as have been made by recent 

 bird legislation. Even supposing that they had indi\'idually 

 found out all they cared to know concerning the habits of British 

 birds, still they had no right to stifle future investigation by 

 their juniors either in age or learning. Some kinds of bii'ds re- 

 quire different times to arrive at maturity; several species of 

 Gulls take four years. I have not yet met with any one who 

 can detennine the age of some individuals of these, met "svith 

 during immaturity. Now we may take it for granted that there 

 are quite as many immutuie as mature Gulls in existence. The 

 latter only congregate at their breeding grounds, where the 

 owners of such ought to be able to protect them. The former 

 are probably scattered over the coasts and seas in many parts. 

 Now, what harm accrues to these species by killing for observa- 

 tion these immature wanderers ? I would ask, do these natural- 

 ists tliiiik tliat all information rerjuired by a student of nature 

 can be acquired from eitlitr stuffed birds or skins already ob- 

 tained ? If not, how is it to be got ? Perhaps by looking at tho 

 birds with binoculars. If they have to get their information 

 from skins already obtained, I fear they will be as likely to get 

 it us a surgeon would be who expected to leai'n anatomy from a 

 mummy. A true naturalist requires the recently killed birds to 



