the Islands; in fact, a great many of them are not there at all during
the breeding-season, except perhaps an occasional wounded bird which has
been unable to join its companions on their migratory journey, or a few
non-breeding stragglers.

It has often struck me that a small but rigidly collected and enforced
gun-tax would be a more efficacious protection--not only to the oiseaux
de mer, but also to the inland birds, many of which are quite as much in
want of protection though not included in the Act--than the Sea-bird
Protection Act is. I am glad to see that there is some chance of this
being carried out, for, while this work was going through the press, I
see by the newspaper ('Gazette Officielle de Guernsey' for the 26th
March, 1879) that the Bailiff had then just issued a _Billet d'Etat_
which contained a "Projet de loi" on the subject, to be submitted to the
States at their next meeting; and in concluding its comments on this
_Projet de loi_ the Gazette says, "Il n'est que juste en fait que ceux
qui veulent se lier au plaisir de la chasse paient pour cette fantaisie
et que par ce moyen le trop grand nombre de nos chasseurs maladroits et
inexpérimentes se voit réduit au grand avantage de nos fermiers et de
nos promeneurs;" and probably also to the advantage of the chasseurs
themselves.

In regard to the nomenclature, I have done the best I can to follow the
rule laid down by the British Association; but not living in London, and
consequently not having access to a sufficiently large ornithological
library to enable me to search out the various synonyms for myself and
ascertain the exact dates, I have therefore been obliged to rely on the
best authorities whose works I possess, and accept the name given by
them. In doing this, I have no doubt I have been quite as correct as I
should have been had I waded through the various authors who have