62 tHE ZOOLOGIST. 



and how you think it likely to answer. With regard to the 

 protection of rare birds from collectors, it seems to me that it 

 would be better to legislate for them separately, though, in the 

 present state of opinion, I doubt if any penalty would have much 

 effect. If the thing is to be done at all by legislation, those rare 

 birds only which are likely to breed here if unmolested should be 

 protected by a very heavy penalty, which might apply to killing 

 them at any time. No penalty applicable to the cases of some 

 of the birds now protected will have any effect while we protect, 

 by the same law, birds like the common Godwit, Whimbrel, Wild 

 Goose, &c, — birds which will never breed here, and in some 

 places the best time — indeed the only time — to shoot them is 

 during their spring passage. Godwits do not appear on our coast 

 in the spring passage. Whimbrel do, very fat, and in flocks in May. 

 On their return they are only seen as scattered stragglers, and no 

 one shoots any then. So few Whimbrel, however, appear with 

 us in spring that they are of no great consequence ; but in some 

 parts, as the West of Ireland, I hear that they and the common 

 Godwits come in dense flocks from the last week in April, all 

 through May ; not one-tenth of the number are seen in autumn. 

 The case of the Grey Geese in Ireland and Scotland, I dare say, you 

 have seen published in ' The Field.' The position of the scientific 

 enquirer is a hard one, especially with regard to common birds 

 which will never breed here. A system of granting licenses might 

 answer ; but it would be very difficult to discriminate between 

 the man of science and the mere collector. It would hardly 

 answer to expect magistrates to know where they ought to inflict 

 a heavy penalty, if they had the power of doing so. By-the-way, 

 the time of migration of the Common Godwit is a puzzle that 

 wants clearing up. 



Stubbers, Romford, 31st March, 1882. 



I have been thinking of writing to you for a long time, but 

 had not much to tell you about the movements of birds. 



I am much obliged to you for sending the very interesting 

 * Eeport of the Committee.' I had seen the ' Keport on the 

 Migration of Birds in the Spring and Autumn of 1880 ' adver- 

 tised, and ordered it. I have since got it. Mr. 's notes, 



which failed to reach you last year, were not, I think, of very 



