214 
Notes and Comments. 
May:— ‘Your special correspondent this morning gives “An 
Ornithological Record ” — and, unfortunately, the record is a 
bad one. For years Yorkshire Naturalists, by the aid of their 
Wild Birds and Eggs Protection Committee, have been sub- 
scribing large sums of money towards protecting rare breeding 
species and encouraging others. The Fulmar has been known 
as a visitor to our grand cliffs for a few years, and at last, at 
least three pairs have honoured us and delighted us by nesting 
at Bempton. With what result ? The only egg laid by each 
of two pairs was taken on Friday, probably within a few hours 
of being laid, and, no doubt, the third egg will have been taken 
before this letter gets into type. Yet the “ dimmers ” receive 
money from the Yorkshire Wild Birds and Eggs Protection 
Committee to protect the birds. The Fulmar may have “ made 
history ” by nesting at Bempton, but what scientific or other 
gain has there been if the ' eggs are taken directly they are 
laid ? Are we likely, in the circumstances, to see the Fulmar 
here again ? ’ We understand that ‘ Naturalist ’ also com- 
mented upon the fact that as the name of the person taking 
the egg, and also the name and address of the one purchasing 
it (in one instance), were given in the press, possibly something 
might be done to prevent a recurrence of this unsatisfactory 
business. 
EARLY BRITISH TRACKWAYS.* 
The author of this book sees Guide Posts in Trees, Sighting 
Points in Hills, Indicators in Stones, and Leys in everything. 
The book is based on an address to the Woolhope Naturalists' 
Field Club, in which the author endeavoured to show that all 
our archaeological difficulties could be removed as a result 
of his discovery, of which he admits he would want verifica- 
tion if any person had told it to him. The author’s point is 
that throughout the country the mounds, tumuli, notches in 
the mountain side, boulders, and even ponds and trees are 
planted along lines to indicate the direction of ancient track- 
ways. He bolsters up his theory by photographs of Church 
towers, fords, castles, camps, crosses, causeways, etc. He 
finds new meanings in all sorts of words, but the key to his 
discourse is the word ‘ ley,’ which is the name of his sighting 
line, and in his opinion the name ley in a place-name is some 
indication of this. He says ‘ The fact of the ley is embedded 
in the rural mind. A country man in directing your path 
will invariably bring in the now misleading, but once correct, 
“ keep straight on.” It was once absolutely necessary to 
“ keep straight on ” in the ley, for if you did not you would 
be de-leyed on your journey. This is not said as a pun, but, 
as in some succeeding sentences, to point out the place of the 
* By Alfred Watkins. Hereford : Watkins Meter Co., 41 pp., 4/6 net. 
Naturalist 
