Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1981, Blaðsíða 128

136
The Collection of Wild Birds’ Eggs and Nestlings in Sweden
However, it is clear that this was not an unlimited freedom from
the Harbour Guild regulations of 1450 for Huvudskar in the Stock-
holm archipelago, which say: “Anyone who takes eggs on another
man’s skerry or islet without permission will be fined 3 marks”
(Guild regulations, 1856, p. 306). Judging from several earlier in-
stances, such robbing of the nests of ground-nesting birds was
common throughout the archipelagoes, especially on the outer, un-
inhabited islands. The same applied to the islands in the big Swedish
lakes. For instance, P. G. Gyllenius, a student, observed in 1625
that this practice prevailed on the islands in Lake Vanern off
Kristinehamn (Diarium 1882, p. 12). Islands and islets where egg-
stealing might occur were also included in the cadastration records,
for example, at Ed in Kalmar County, where a note made in 1691
says that on Lokeskár “egg-collecting was formerly practised, but
it is now spoiled” (quoted in Statens offentliga utrednmgar (Swedish
Government Official Reports, SOU) 1925:19, p. 235). The practice
of egg-collecting has left traces in the place-names; “Aggskáren” or
“Aggkobben” is recorded in 1740 at Grums in Vármland (Sveriges
Ortnamn (Swedish Place-names): Vármland 5, 1926, p. 44) and
such names are common in several places (cf. Sahlgren, 1931, p.
149). At Nordmaling in Ángermanland, Linnaeus noted on his tour
to Lapland in 1732 that, on an island called Bonden, situated 12 km
or more out to sea, the peasants stole the only egg laid by the
razorbill, whereupon the bird continuously laid new ones, which
were also removed (Linnaeus, 1732, p. 28).
Egg-collecting frequently assumed quite extensive proportions and
disquieted several 18th-century writers on economics. One of them,
writing from central Bohuslán in the mid 18th century, says that
“the sea-bird is being destroyed year by year because of the taking
of its eggs for household needs, although their beautiful down should
secure them royal privileges” (Qvistberg, 1943, pp. 106 f.). Opinions
were no doubt divided. From Lindberg in the neighbourhood of
Varberg in Halland, A. G. Barchaeus wrote in 1773 that “a man
accused the peasants of taking eggs from under sitting birds to make
pancakes with and thereby destroying them. Others denied this,
for, if it were true, the birds would not be there each year in such