92 
THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
■ The-metLedsHisnally employed Lave consisted 
in placing gelatino-bromide photographic plates 
at different depth- under the water; the plate- 
being lowered by 'a sounding lead, and protcUd 
from the : action 1 of the sea water by a varnish 
Experiments were tirade about 1,300 to 1 .100 
meters off the Cape of Mont Boron, at Viile- 
Franelie in the Gulf of Nice, and in water about 
550 meters deep. During April the limit of pene- 
tration of ‘the .daylight about midday, during fine 
weather, was found to be about 400 meters. Other 
observations showed that there, is a penetration of 
300 meters all the time the sun is above the hori- 
zon, and of 350' meters during eight hours of the 
day. 
Correspondence. 
Our Birds. 
Valletta-Malta. 
.Sir 
During my rambles about the islands I have 
repeatedly had my attention attracted to the great 
number of so called “sportsmen" that infest the 
fields and highways for the purpose of shooting 
the few biids that endeavour to find a home in 
the valleys. Nothing is sacred. to these butchers: 
they shoot all and every thing that come in their 
way, though they seem to devote their special 
attention to the extermination of our robins and 
sparrows. On Sunday last, while in the vicinity of 
Maddalena, I met a party of youths from the 
adjoining casals, seven of whom carried guns. Is 
it possible that all of these have been granted li- 
cences by the authorities ? I hardly think so, for at 
least three of these embryo hunters were but 
little over 1 2 years of age. 
At a time, when so much distress has been oc- 
casioned by the attacks of the orange fly on the 
fruits of the islands, it surely, behoves the autho- 
rities to take steps to present such wholesale 
slaughter of the feathery guardians of our orchards. 
Birds are the natural enemies of flies and insects 
of all kinds, and a decrease in their numbers 
must necessarily be followed by an increase in the 
number of insects pests. 
Apart, therefore, from all feelings of sentimen- 
talism, the birds should be protected if it be but 
for the purpose of assisting the agriculturists of 
the islands; and this might readily he done either 
by limiting the number of shooting licenses issued, 
or at least by carring out the existing regulations 
more stringently, and calling to account all of 
those who use firearms without the necessary 
permit. 
Yours faithfully 
A. Visitor. 
Exchange Column. 
Notices are inserted in this column free of 
charge. We request that all exchanges may be 
signed with name (or initials), and full address 
at the end. 
Wanted : — Wanted to purchase a good 
Italian dictionary. Address J. W. 10 Strada 
Ridolfo, Sliema, Malta. 
Wanted : — Geological lantern slides in ex- 
change for Maltese Jepidoptera & hemiptera. 
Address. F.W. W.C/o Editor “Mediterranean 
Naturalist” Malta. 
To Curators of Museums : — Specimens of 
the “ Fungus Melitensis ” — Gyno norium 
coccineum. L. for exchange or purchase 
Address F.W.W. C/o Editor of “ Mediter- 
ranean Naturalist ” Malta. 
Microscope : — Wanted a first class mic- 
roscope by Beck, Swift, or Crouch, in ex- 
change for a “ Safety ” bicycle, value £ 12. 
Apply J. C. 29 Park Street, Weymouth. 
Editor. J. H. Cooke. B.Sc., F.G.S., Malta. 
