COUNTRY LIFE
THOSE naturalists who are now striving in every single county to urge on the planning authorities the preservation of this and that sanctuary or reserve are meeting a certain amount of opposition from both sports- men and the general public, whose battle-cry is "access." I see that my contention that a certain 'amount of shooting does not necessarily violate a sanctuary has been endorsed by the Norfolk naturalists. Duck-shooting under due regulation is permitted both on the Cley marshes and (In Hickling Broad, which is described as the best duck-shoot in England, and it is certainly the best sanctuary. The last time I was there I saw both the bearded tit and the bittern actually on their nests. Contrariwise, while visiting the neighbourhood of Cley I found at a local hotel a notorious collector, who but for very Argus-eyed watchers might have done great harm The Broads are the best example of the fact that access and sport need not prove harmful to the preservation either of shy and rare birds or for that matter of grouse and duck. Other examples might be quoted from the shires of Leicester, Stafford and Hertford. A parallel is suggested with well-regulated egg-collecting. The colonies of sea birds, especially guillemot, on Bempton cliffs increased, after a progressive decrease, when the harvesting of eggs was made legal at specific dates, but forbidden later in the season in time to give the birds an uninterrupted breeding space.
Alien Blacks
The Duke of Bedford, one of the best and most accurate of naturalists, kindly answers my query about the black squirrel seen recently by a friend of mine. He says : "The black squirrels, of which I am sorry to say some still survive at Woburn in spite of efforts to exterminate them, are merely the melanistic form of the American grey squirrel. I have seen black varieties of the red squirrel which had 6een imported from the Continent." A great many 'red squirrels were imported before the war: some of them were released at Whipsnade, and I know of others in North Devon. Freakish colours continually appear in most mammals and many birds. When, for example, the polecats which had almost vanished began to flourish again in certain places, especially Merioneth, and within my experience in the neighbourhood of Aberdovey, a certain proportion (as stuffed specimens bear witness) were of a strong rufous tint. Such redness makes a widely recognised variety.
African Friends
Here is a quotation from a more distant biologist, who bears a name very famous in the annals. The airgraph gives Christmas greetings, thus: "It is the first time for eight years that I have no bird-card to send, but ornithological greetings from North Africa all the same. This country is most exciting. Many birds, like hoopoe and osprey, are new to me ; others, like siskin and goldfinch, old friends, are here in unwonted pro- fusion. The biggest gap is in the waders: occasional ring plover and saddpiper up the river beds are the only ones ; I never dreamt that they were so dependent on tides-or is that the factor concerned? The insects are almost more exciting : praying mantis and cicadas in particular." My correspondent is working on the control of malaria, and adds : "I just revel in, mosquitoes now ! "—as did his uncle in grouse, when he solved the mystery of their worst malady. The query about tides is scientifically suggestive.
Penalised Veterans . All those who have any actual experience of the Land Army will feel the injustice of the decision to penalise those who volunteered and got to work before the Land Army, as such, was fully organised. They contain perhaps the most capable workers ; and certainly not the richest. -There seems to be no good reason whatever why they should be refused suitable boots and clothes for work very severe on both. Moreover, such boots andklothes are often unprocurable' except by a central organisation. The case for providing them with this uniform is unanswerable.
In the Garden
Those who care for their lawns should do what greenkeepers do: spread the worm-casts—which are now multitudinous—with such a weapon as a long, whippy bamboo. Rolling may do much harm: the squashed worm-cast kills grass. In regard to rougher grass, the tar- distillate sprays, which should be used about this date in most orchards, at first damage but preiently improve the grass and enlarge the oppor- tunity for grazing. The wholesomeness as well as the feeding value is Postage on this issue : Inland and Overseas, ad
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