294 The Scottish Naturalist. 



bird, and this too without the idea ever occurring to those com- 

 mitting such deeds, that farmers' fields would be kept clearer of 

 such creatures, and at much less expense than their present 

 mode of having to feed and pay a person for that purpose. 

 What will not prejudice make men do and say ? 



If nothing better can be devised, let us return to the good old 

 time when the preservation of"haks"was strictly under the 

 eye of the legislature, when the killing of a hawk or taking of 

 their eggs was visited with three months' imprisonment and the 

 finding of sureties to good behaviour for seven years after ; and 

 when the nobles and barons were encouraged in the exercises 

 of hunting and hawking, as forming "the only means and instru- 

 ments to keep the haill leiges bodies frae not becoming altogether 

 effeminate." At present the "hail leiges" have much need to 

 be careful least they lapse into a state somewhat worse than 

 effeminacy, for they would appear (to use an old Scotch expres- 

 sion) to be " gawn gyte " in their present determination to ex- 

 terminate all creatures branded with the name of vermin. But 

 I hope the dawn of a better state of things is not far distant, 

 when reason will compel grasping man to see that he must act 

 for the general good, and not for himself alone, and to let nature 

 balance herself, never raising his hand against her creatures 

 except when absolutely necessary. Then, and not till then, 

 may we hope for the additions to the food supply, the want of 

 which is so much spoken of at present. 



Now, all I ask is, that those holding the opposite opinion in 

 this matter may examine each bird they kill, say for the next 

 twelve months, endeavouring at the same time to lay aside their 

 prejudice, and then candidly give us the result, and their ideas 

 thereon. Grant this, and there is no fear of the issue. Not 

 that the subject would then be finally settled, but that the pro- 

 per treatment of it would be begun, culminating, I doubt not, in 

 the universal condemnation of the present thoughtless, wasteful, 

 and unnatural custom. Then will men begin to see the 

 beauties of nature, and that " all things work together for 

 good." 



As has been remarked, gamekeepers and others think that by 

 destroying rapacious birds game will increase, and as rapacious 

 birds are allowed to multiply, game would proportionately 

 diminish. Now this I deny. And in support of my belief, 1 

 would point to those countries where vermin (as it is known in 

 this country) is not so persecuted as in our own land. Look at the 



