SELBORNIANA 
i<J5 
Pass of Aberglaslyn have been disfigured by the poles of the 
Postal Telegraph Department. I have been to both places and 
can speak from experience of the shocking disfigurement caused 
by these poles. To me, indeed, the road by the estuary and the 
pass no longer exist. They cannot be visited by me again unless 
to get from one town to another. What can be thought of a 
Government which does such mischief, and of a people who 
cheerfully acquiesce, and all for a mere convenience? Will you 
kindly call attention to this ? It may do good ? ” 
Threatened Extinction of the Elephant Seal. — A 
correspondent of the Field wrote in April last : — 
“ I am glad that you have published my appeal on behalf of the sea elephants, 
and I sincerely hope that it may do some good. I have since received news 
which proves that matters are even worse than I believed them to be. 
“ Concerning the Island of South Georgia, I know now positively that another 
whaling company has commenced operations at that island. I have not, however, 
heard anything concerning the sea elephants, so that it is perhaps not too late to 
secure some strict legislation to prevent the killing of these rare and interesting 
animals and afford them sufficient protection. It is evident that this should be 
done with the least possible delay. 
“The Crozet Islands, another British Antarctic possession, have quite lately 
been raided by Norwegian sealers. They have just returned and boast that 
they have brought home with them ‘ 1, 800 skins of seals and sea lions.’ How 
many are left ? 
“ From Kerguelen Land sad news has arrived. It is said that a Norwegian 
sealing firm has obtained permission to hunt whales and kill seals there for 
twenty-two years. If no regulations have been made or will be made, it is 
evident that not a single sea elephant nor any other seal will survive these twenty- 
two years. 
“ I should be very grateful if you would draw public attention to these facts, 
and plead for the necessity of speedy legislation.” 
Birds and their Protection. — In an address given to the 
Ashmolean Natural History Society at Oxford, on Thursday, 
May 21, Mr. Wilfred Mark Webb, the Secretary of the 
Selborne Society, dealt with the subject of Bird Protection. 
In the first place, he considered the rarer foreign birds and 
spoke of the Bill to prohibit the importation of plumage which 
Lord Avebury, President of the Selborne Society, has introduced 
into the House of Lords on behalf of a number of societies 
interested. 
Mr. Webb said that since the Plumage Section of the 
Selborne Society was inaugurated in 1885, the Society had 
striven in every way possible to influence those who follow the 
vagaries of fashion, which are rapidly bringing many beautiful 
birds to extinction. In June last, the Council of the Selborne 
Society was greatly in favour of an attempt being made to check 
by legislation the irreparable damage which is being done by the 
sale of birds’ skins and plumage. 
Public opinion and practically the entire Press are now 
greatly in favour of some action being taken, and Lord Avebury’s 
Bill, though it might not go so tar as some would like, will 
not only make a very good beginning, but will set an excellent 
example to other European countries. 
