SELB0RN1ANA. 
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is the experience of a man who has, I believe, spent the whole of his life in the 
Lake District and is a close observer.” 
Unfortunately we have a very different account of the operations of the fern 
stealers of the South. The Rev. H. D. Gordon, who never ceases in his efforts 
to protect the birds and plants of Sussex, sends us the following letter, addressed 
to him by Miss Richards, the Hon. Sec. at Midhurst (Rother Valley) Branch of the 
Selborne Society : — “ Can you do anything to save our poor ferns ? i.ast Monday 
I saw on the high road between Trotton and Terwick a man, who looked like a 
London rough, with a cart containing three enormous hampers. The cart was 
drawn up to the side of the road, and the man was in the hedge pulling up ferns 
as fast as he could ; and I have no doubt that in the course of the afternoon he 
filled his baskets (each one of which was as large as the baskets they use for gather- 
ing hops in) and sent them off to London, while he himself went off to ‘ fresh 
woods and pastures new.’ It is sad, especially when one knows how very little 
chance there is of one of those ferns living for more than a few weeks. All round 
Midhurst the hedges have been stripped of ferns, though I hear that rare varieties 
were formerly to be found in the neighbourhood.” Mr. Gordon fully corroborates 
Miss Richards’ account of devastation, and reiterates her query, “ What is to be 
done?” To this question it is very hard to give a direct reply. We fear it is 
hopeless to apply coercive measures to these depredators in most cases. Judging 
from Mr. Wheatcroft’s statement, it seems that the best method of averting 
such spoliation would be to extend the influence of the Selborne Society. It 
would be well, also, if our members would resolutely refuse to patronise the 
itinerant hawkers who make desolate so many spots and exterminate some of 
our most beautiful plants. 
Wanton Destruction of Rare Birds.— Mr. G. T. Rope, from whom 
we often receive valuable communications as to the evil deeds of bird 
destroyers, writes that in the district round Wickham Market, in Suffolk, the 
Wild Birds’ Preservation Act is almost a dead letter. The same tidings reaches 
us from several other quarters. Perhaps one reason why legislation in this direc- 
tion is so inoperative is the fact that those whose duty it is to carry out the laws 
are sometimes to be counted among the most active law-breakers themselves. 
Correspondents often remind us that the “magistrates, officers and gentlemen,” 
who are entitled to fix the hardly honourable appendage “ late of Grassholme,” to 
their names, are not by any means such unique specimens as we had at first fondly 
supposed. In other cases, while not breaking the letter of the law, they set an 
evil example in their efforts to exterminate some of our rarest and most beautiful 
birds. For example, Lieut. -Colonel Watson writes to the Field as follows : — “ A 
gentleman possessing large farms on Lavington Downs, boasted to me that he had 
shot two ‘ beautiful wild peregrines ’ last October, and two more last spring. 
These were destroyed, not because they were suspected of doing harm to the 
hares and few partridges concealed in roots and deep covert, nor for the purpose 
of being put in a glass case, but simply to be cast aside into the nearest hedge. 
In Ireland a gentleman living at Cappoquin, and a magistrate , ravages the coast 
for miles for peregrines’ eggs, and those of that beautiful and rare bird the Cornish 
chough, only for the ignoble purpose of sending them to an egg dealer in York for 
sale.” On the other hand, we hear of several instances in which the spread of 
Selbornian principles has proved a check to such wanton and cruel destruc- 
tiveness. For example, Mr. R. M. Watson, the Hon. Sec. of the Lea Valley 
Branch of the Selborne Society, tells us of a gentleman residing in his district, 
who on hearing of a white sparrow having been seen on his grounds, took the 
peremptory and prohibitive step of locking up all the guns in his establishment, 
and thus securing for the little albino comparative immunity from attack. It may 
be mentioned that a plump and perky albino hedge sparrow has for several days 
presented himself among the crowds of starlings, blackbirds, thrushes and 
robins who are in receipt of out-door relief at the windows of The Grove, Great 
Stanmore. Contrary to the usual belief that birds so markedly peculiar in colour 
are persecuted by their fellows of orthodox hue on account of their unconventional 
garb, this plucky little bird holds his own most defiantly, and refuses to be repelled 
by any of his more powerful brethren. 
