NATURE-RESERVES 17 



forest), which are resulting in the destruction and dis- 

 appearance of rare birds which formerly nested there. 

 Many a distant common threatened by the builder has 

 been preserved as an open space by golfers. Such 

 preservation is like that of the boards of conservators, 

 useless from the point of view of the nature-lover. The 

 health-seeking crowd spreads devastation around ft. The 

 rare sand-loving plants of the dunes, and the " bog- 

 bean," the "sun-dew," and other refugees from human 

 persecution on our once unfrequented heath-Ian*, are 

 remorselessly trodden down or hacked up by the golfer. 

 Other destroyers of nature's rarer products are those 

 who greedily search for them and carry them off, root 

 and branch, to the last specimen, in order to sell them. 

 These dealers are " collectors," indeed, but must not be 

 confused with the genuine " naturalist," who may allow 

 himself, with due modesty, to secure a limited sample of 

 treasures from nature's open hand. 



Under these circumstances a society has been founded 

 for the formation of " nature-reserves " in the British 

 Islands. Its object is to secure, by purchase or gift, 

 tracts of as yet unsullied wilderness — of which some are 

 still, though rarely, to be found — where beast and bird, 

 insect and plant are still living as of old — untouched, 

 unmolested, undisturbed by intrusive, murderous man. 

 The society's object is to enter into relations with those 

 who may know of such tracts, and to arrange for their 

 transference — 'if of sufficient interest— to the National 

 Trust. The expense of proper guardianship and the 

 admission to the reserve of duly authorized persons 

 would be the business of the society, Its office is at the 

 Natural History Museum in Cromwell Road, and Mr. 

 Ogilvie Grant, the naturalist in charge of the ornitho- 

 logical collections, is one of the secretaries. Sir Edward 



