PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 25. 57 



school to an intelligent appreciation of the privilege and duty of 

 protecting the wild life. Myriads of birds are sacrificed to the 

 night prowling cat, and, unintentionally, to the curiosity of the 

 small boy. In Germany, in the valley of the Danube and else- 

 where, the peasant children take particular care to prevent 

 birds from nesting in the mowing fields and cultivated land, 

 where the nests or young are liable to be disturbed. The 

 ground-nesting birds are gently driven into reserved sections of 

 the farm, which are kept free from intrusion. The nests are 

 specially searched out and carefully safe-guarded, so far as 

 possible, from all enemies. As a result, the number of pheas- 

 ants, grouse, quail and plover raised annually in such densely 

 populated countries as England, Germany, France and China 

 are not only an efficient control for insect pests, but also serve 

 as an important food supply for the people. Moreover, mil- 

 lions of such birds are exported to the markets of the United 

 States, where they are sold as food. All this is made possible 

 by the personal attention of the children, by suppression of the 

 superfluous population of cats, rats and dogs, by reserving 

 areas of grain and fruits for food and nesting places, and par- 

 ticularly by the artificial propagation of such species as readily 

 lend themselves to these methods. We have found in Massa- 

 chusetts that not alone may the pheasant be propagated, but 

 also the bobwhite and many species of wild ducks. To this 

 type of work increasing attention must be given, to the end 

 that the birds may again become an important factor in de- 

 creasing the cost of living as well as make the countryside 

 and the city park more attractive to all classes of people. 



In our parks and on our private estates, in our yards, gar- 

 dens and fields, sunflowers, buckwheat and other grains, as 

 well as various shrubs and trees the fruit of which persists 

 through the winter, must be extensively planted, especially for 

 the birds. The spirit of unnecessary killing must be curbed, 

 and any person who has reared annually a number of useful 

 birds, or who has lent his personal influence to check unneces- 

 sary or unlawful destruction of wild life, should be regarded 

 as one who has rendered distinguished civic service. 



Destruction. Man is an important factor in the destruction 

 of game birds, the market price acting as a bounty to reduce 



