SELBORNIA NA . 
35 
(for surely no mere casual ones would be sufficient), does not a third alternative 
appear possible — viz., that we do not know how the honey came there, or which 
came first, the honey or the insect? Orlando, in “As You Like It,” says to 
Adam : — 
“ But, poor old man, thou prun’st a rotten tree. 
That cannot so much as a blossom yield, 
In lieu of all thy pains and husbandry.” 
Were Adam living now he would reply somewhat as follows : — 
“ Nay, stay me not : so work the honey-bees, 
Which probe and search the dry and barren flower ; 
And, by much probing, stir nectareous bile 
E’en in the bosom of the scentless rose,” &c. , &c. 
Otham Parsonage , Maidstone. F. M. Millard. 
[Professor Henslow, who is wintering in Egypt, will doubtless in due time 
send therefrom replies to Mr. Millard and his other critics. — Ed.] 
Swifts and Sparrows.— The Rev. H. D. Gordon, M.A., writes in 
opposition to the opinion expressed by Mr. Aubrey Edwards in our last number 
(p. 1 1), that swifts are not likely to usurp sparrows’ nests. Mr. Gordon quotes as 
follows from his work. The Birds of Harting (p. 22) : — “ Last month [July, 18S0] 
Mr. S. Bryan, of South Harting, showed me the dead body of a sparrow hanging 
out under the roof over his door. The swifts coveted their neighbours’ nest, and 
made short work of the poor sparrows, male and female, killing them both, and 
throwing out the eggs they found in the sparrows’ cot.” Mr. Gordon adds : 
“ I saw, myself, the dead sparrows which had been killed by the swifts, and I saw 
the swifts passing to and fro to the recently-acquired nest. Mr. S. Bryan, regis- 
trar, is still living here, and can verify the facts.” 
Seagull Shooting at Bournemouth.— Permit me to call attention to 
the destruction of seagulls at Bournemouth. Almost every day during a short 
visit to that place at the beginning of the year, men were shooting the gulls from 
the beach close in front of the houses, or from a boat a few hundred yards from 
the shore. I regretted much to see that many fell victims to their shots. Not 
only does the presence of the gulls add a charm to the coast, especially at this 
season of the year, when there is little to enliven the dull monotony of the leaden 
sea, but the continual shooting of them in the very midst of the people who 
frequent the beach and pier must detract from the pleasures of that place, as well 
as have a hardening influence on the children, as they see those beautiful birds 
falling dead and wounded around them, simply to give amusement to a few 
heartless men. R. C. C. 
[We have received from other correspondents similar testimony as to the 
brutality practised at Bournemouth. The Bournemouth Branch of the Selborne 
Society is one of the very few which have ceased to exist. We hope that this 
cannot be taken as a proof that the inhabitants of that watering-place are insensible 
to the cruel slaughter of the beautiful birds which add so much to the pleasure of 
a visitor at any seaside resort. It is impossible to say how much delight it gives 
one to see at the present moment flocks of gulls gracefully wheeling over the town 
and harbour of Ramsgate, apparently as tame and fearless as if they knew that 
they had in every visitor a protector and a friend. We hope that the very active 
Southampton Branch will add to its other good deeds some endeavour to prevent 
Bournemouth becoming a blot upon the Hampshire coast.] 
Since the above was written, C., M.S.S., has sent us the following from 
3, Anglesea Terrace, St. Leonards-on-Sea : — Can it be that the Selborne 
Society has no one residing at Bournemouth attached to its ranks, and that 
this fashionable place is destitute of people having hearts to feel or minds to 
reflect on consequences ? I recently read in the Daily Graphic that a 
gentleman a few days since, while walking in the public gardens at Bourne- 
mouth, counted as many as 250 birds which had evidently perished from 
hunger. A large proportion of these poor birds are said to have been thrushes. 
If this account be correct, it seems to me to afford terrible evidence of the thought- 
lessness, if not the absolute selfish cruelty, of the people of Bournemouth. Can 
nothing be done to stir them to consider their ways, and mend them ? 
