THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 213.— September, 1894. 



THE NEW ACT FOR THE PROTECTION OF 

 BIRDS' EGGS. 



After a prolonged discussion, extending over two sessions, 

 Parliament has at length decided that it is desirable to make the 

 taking of certain birds' eggs illegal, or, in other words, to give 

 those who are so minded a statutory power of protecting eggs 

 of such species as in their opinion stand in need of greater 

 protection than they receive under the * Wild Birds Protection 

 Act, 1880/ 



For several reasons, we consider this fresh legislation 

 unnecessary. In the first place, the eggs of the most important 

 species, that is, the eggs of all game-birds, and those of Swan, 

 Wild-duck, Teal, and Wigeon, are already protected by the 

 game-laws (1 & 2 Wm. IV. c. 32, sect. 24), and in Ireland this 

 protection is extended to Quail, Landrail, Wild-duck, or other 

 wildfowl, Plover, Snipe, and House -dove or Pigeon. 



In the next place, the law of trespass can always be enforced 

 by summons against unauthorised egg-stealers who may be found 

 trespassing in search of eggs on private ground ; and finally, the 

 Wild Birds Protection Act, 1880, makes it illegal to kill any bird 

 (with certain exceptions) during the breeding season, or between 

 the 1st March and the 1st August, providing a heavier penalty 

 for killing those which are specially named in the schedule to 

 the Act, than for those of less importance which are not so 

 mentioned. 



ZOOLOGIST, THIRD SERIES, VOL. XVIII. — SEPT. 1894. 2 C 



