THE DARTFORD WARBLER 255 



collections now being formed will make haste to 

 rid themselves of such unhappy legacies, by 

 thrusting them upon local museums, or by 

 destroying them outright in their anxiety to 

 have it forgotten that one of their name had a 

 part in the detestable business of depriving the 

 land of these wonderful and beautiful forms of 

 life — a Ufe which future generations would have 

 cherished as a dear and sacred possession. 



But we cannot afford to wait : we have been 

 made too poor in species already, and are los- 

 ing something further every year ; we want a 

 remedy now. 



So far two suggestions have been made. One 

 is an alteration in the existing law, which will 

 allow the infliction of far heavier fines on 

 offenders. All those who are acquainted with 

 collectors and their ways will at once agree that 

 increased penalties will not meet the case ; that 

 the only effect of such an alteration in the law 

 would be to make collectors and the persons 

 employed by them more careful than they have 

 yet found it necessary to be. The other sug- 

 gestion, vaguely put forth, is that something of 

 the nature of a private inquiry agency should be 



