PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 
146 
taken alive at the mouth of Waterford Harbour in May, 1834, 
and is now preserved in the museum of Trinity College, 
Dublin.” This bird was never common on our coasts, but 
would possibly have continued to exist until the present, 
if not interfered with by man, because its large size and 
breeding stations inaccessible to any animal likely to prey 
upon it, combined with its powers of diving and swimming, 
gave it a good chance of holding its place in our avi fauna ; 
but on the other hand, laying only one egg, the reproduction 
of the species was consequently slow, and could not long 
withstand any serious slaughter or destruction of eggs, with¬ 
out a diminution in numbers and eventual extermination, 
which has been accomplished. The final extinction of the 
indigenous race the Great Bustard is not a mere matter 
of history, for men are now living who well recollect seeing 
flocks of these handsome birds frequenting the sandy waters 
of Norfolk and Suffolk ; the date when the last of the Norfolk 
birds was killed is given by Stevenson in his excellent work, 
the ‘‘Birds of Norfolk,” as 1838, but it is likely that one or 
two continued to exist in that county until 1845. Anyone 
interested in this species cannot do better than read the 
article I have referred to, as the details of their being done 
to death by swivel guns and others placed like artillery in 
position to sweep a certain spot, where tempting food was 
laid, is fully set forth by the author in a most circumstantial 
and comprehensive manner; a pattern to all ornithologists 
who attempt to write a biographical account of local bird life. 
The decrease in “ Birds of Prey ” is certainly attributable 
to man, as, on account of game preservation, any of the 
Hawk tribe are lucky if they rear their young without being 
detected by the vigilant eye of a keeper, who would soon 
make short work of what he would term “ vermin.” It is 
rather curious that in olden times laws were made to protect 
the different Falcons adapted for “ Hawking,” a pastime for 
kings and nobles, whereas at the present time the order is 
reversed, and game laws are enforced to protect what formerly 
fed the Falcons. 
The Protection of Wild Birds. 
Owing to the decrease of Wild Fowl, which constituted an 
important article of food and of some commercial value, 
an Act for the Protection of certain Wild Birds during the 
breeding was passed in 1872, fixing as close time from 
March 15th to August 1st for the species included in the 
schedule attached. The compilation of this list is a master¬ 
piece, and certainly gives one the idea that lots were drawn 
