240 
NATURE NOTES, 
SELBORNIANA. 
Birds at Bridlington. — The following may interest your readers. While 
at Bridlington a few weeks ago, I got into conversation with an intelligent young 
boatman, who informed me that it had ceased to pay them to kill sea-birds, as 
there was now no market for them, many ladies having given over wearing their 
wings and plumage, the price formerly obtained being los. a score. I regret to 
say, however, that in Bridlington Bay and all along the beautiful cliffs at Flam- 
borough, a useless slaughter is still kept up by amateur gunners. I have seen on the 
first Monday in August on the north landing at Flamborough, dozens of dead sea- 
birds shot and then left on the beach ; nor is this the worst, as I was informed that 
numbers of young unfledged birds would starve to death in the nests in the cliff. 
The fact that the young ones appear so late in the season may seem strange, but 
it is accounted for by the fact that the cliffs are leased to egg gatherers during the 
spring months of the year, thus preventing the birds from raising their young at 
the usual time, and when at last they are allowed to sit in peace, it is too late for 
them to get the young away before the shooting commences. Surely this ought to 
be altered, either the egg gathering should close one month later, or the “close 
season ” should be prolonged until September. B. 
Kingfisher and Trout. — In previous numbers of Nature Notes the 
scarcity of kingfishers was mentioned. Is it true that on the Trent these beau- 
tiful birds are murdered because of their interference with the trout fisheries ? 
E. G. W. 
The Doom of Snowdon. — Your readers will be much troubled to know 
that tbe doom of the monarch of our mountains is to be sealed on December 5, 
on which date Mr. Assheton Smith, the owner of the land, will be asked to cut 
the first sod of the Snowdon Railway. On two former occasions this gentleman 
defeated in Parliament a project for a railway to the top of the mountain ; and 
there can be no doubt that if he now refuse the facilities to others, which he 
personally will not avail himself of, the vulgarising of a mountain height, which 
is one of the chief glories of our country, would be impossible. That a moun- 
tain famed in song and filled with sacred association, should thus be degraded 
to the level of a tea garden and switchback combined, at the will of company 
promoters ; and that its super-eminent charm of solitude, its power of inspiration, 
its restfulness for the people, should be destroyed, is little less than a national 
disaster. There is only one .Snowdon in all the world. But the mischief does 
not stop here. The example set on Snowdon will be followed on the Scotch, 
English, and Irish hills. The mountain railway craze, as travellers in Switzerland 
know well, spreads rapidly. The electric engineer and the hotel speculator are 
always on the alert, and company promotion seems to be a paying concern. 
Those who care for the spirit of patriotism which is engendered by beautiful 
scenery, and who believe that our mountain solitudes are necessary as means of 
education for the hearts and eyes of the people, who realise how much of the best 
thought in our literature has been inspired by the genius of the hills, must feel that 
the time has come for the nation to demand the interference of its legislature. 
Why should there not be a commissioner or commissioners appointed by Parlia- 
ment to safeguard the national interest in scenery, and to see that the recreation 
grounds and the inspiration grounds of the people are not jeopardised by the will 
or whims of private owners, or the selfishness of speculators? 
Crosthwaite Vicarage, Keswick. H. D. Rawnsley. 
Haywards Heath Recreation Ground (p. 206).— I am sorry to find 
that Mr. Archibald Clarke has been misled by his correspondent, and I cannot 
refrain from writing to vindicate the character of our Local Board. The facts are 
these ; a low-lying swampy part of the ground (four acres), which was neither or- 
namental nor useful, has been filled up and levelled to form a cricket ground, while 
the whole of the remainder (sixteen acres) is to be left for the furze and heather. 
The furze has, during many years, accumulated a large quantity of dry rubbish 
and dead wood under it, which not only mars its beauty, but from its inflammable 
nature has given rise during the past few years to several devastating fires. We 
