110 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Orkney breeding haunts. Howard Saunders, in his ‘Manual of 
British Birds,’ says:—‘‘ But to the lowlands the Golden Eagle is 
now, at best, a rare visitor in the cold season. Its present breeding 
places are confined to the highlands and islands of the western 
coast, where, owing to the protection afforded by many of the pro- 
prietors of deer-forests, its numbers have to some extent recovered 
from the destructiveness of Grouse preservers.” These two writers 
prove the sad state to which the Scottish Hagles were reduced by the 
raids of keepers, shepherds, egg-collectors, and skin-hunters until 
timely protection was afforded them. 
As I dispute Mr. Jourdain’s assertion that the near extinction of 
the Osprey in Scotland “is due to the slaughter of the birds on 
migration through Ireland, and duly recorded in the pages of the 
‘Irish Naturalist,’”’ I now givea correct list of the birds killed during 
the eleven years between 1900 and 1912, as reported in the ‘Irish 
Naturalist.’ Having again carefully searched its pages, I can find 
records of only four birds killed within the period named: One killed 
near Drogheda in 1907; two shot in Co. Sligo in November, 1907 ; 
one shot in Co. Fermanagh, on Loch Erne, Oct. 4th, 1909. I have 
not gone back over the pages of the ‘ Irish Naturalist’ up to the date 
of its publication, merely taking the period I have previously men- 
tioned ; but if the records in the previous years compare with those 
of the last eleven, it will not show the amount of slaughter that 
would seriously diminish the numbers of northern Ospreys on their 
southern migration. 
I now end the discussion by thanking the Editor for his patient 
kindness in keeping his pages open for so long to this controversy. 
Mr. Jourdain asks ‘“‘ Why the Kites of Wales should be dragged into 
the discussion.” I do so, to show the difficulty of preserving our 
rare breeding British birds from the continuous attacks of egg- 
dealers, skin-hunters, and their agents; in proof of which I now 
quote a few lines from notes of the editor of ‘ British Birds’ (in the 
last volume) on the present status of the Kite in Wales. He says :— 
‘In 1909 seven pairs appeared, but only one young was fledged, 
though in 1909 fifteen birds were known to exist. This year, out of 
four nests watched six young are safe. It is painful to have to admit 
that this result has only been achieved by force—that is to say, the 
nests have been watched night and day to protect them from being 
robbed by the collector of rare British eggs or his agent.” This 
needs no comment; the editor of ‘ British Birds ’ cannot be doubted. 
—Rosert WarREN (Ardnaree, Monkstown, Co. Cork). 
