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accruing are hardly to be estimated. Imitation is said to be a very 
sincere form of flattery, and, here, ready to* hand, is a, large and most 
excellent field for its exercise. Despite my accumulated strictures, 
however, the state of things prevailing now is vastly different to what 
it was fifty years ago. There was. little public interest taken in birds 
when the nineteenth century was comparatively in its infancy, and the 
consequence was that they were shot indiscriminately, and in every 
month of the year. No wonder bitterns, avocets, spoonbills, and other 
rare species, though occasionally visiting us in the spring, seek less 
inhospitable regions for the purpose of reproducing the story of their 
birth. Moreover, to come down to very recent times, what bird 
enthusiast fails to remember the outcry that went up when an osprey 
was assassinated in Yorkshire on the eve of its going to nest, probably 
in some northerly portion of the British Isles? I interested myself at 
the time in trying to get the perpetrator of so cruel and reprehensible 
a murder adequately punished for his offence, but found, to my regret, 
that the schedule of the "Wild Birds’ Protection Act, 1880, which had 
not been amended in East Yorkshire, did not include such a charming 
and inoffensive species as the osprey! Beyond the cost of summons 
and a caution, there was no penalty for shooting a, wild bird not included 
in the schedule. When we consider the extreme improbability of one 
man being enabled to stain his hands with the blood of two ospreys in 
the course of his life time in this country, we can appraise the value 
of the “caution” at its true worth. With regard to wildfowl, the 
increase of punt-guns undoubtedly retards the augmentation of their 
numbers. Bepeatedly harassed by professional gunners, the birds are 
naturally scared away. On the other hand, there exists, as I know, in 
Cumberland, a moss of considerable acreage, owned by farmers as a 
sort of common land. Prior to the legislation of a close season, this 
area was shot, over indiscriminately from January 1 to December 31. 
But public opinion respects the law, and duck, snipe, teal, and other 
species breed there now without molestation. Doubtless such instances 
could be multiplied, and the credit is due to those who have never ceased 
to agitate for the provision of a. close time. For the increased protection 
afforded to eagles and kindred species bird lovers owe a debt of gratitude 
to the proprietors, of Scotch moors and forests. Animated by noble 
impulses, they have in many instances taken pleasure in anticipating the 
provisions of sundry recent acts. What is being done in a certain 
