THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF WILD BIRDS 51 



THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF WILD BIRDS. 1 



By Walter E. Collinge, D.Sc, F.L.S., etc., The University, 



St Andrews. 



FOR some years past there has been evidence of an 

 awakening in the public mind to the importance of the 

 subject of Economic Ornithology, or the status of wild birds 

 in relation to agriculture, horticulture, forestry, and fisheries. 

 This is reflected in the annual newspaper correspondence 

 on the injuries inflicted on farm crops, fruit orchards, etc., 

 by various species of wild birds, in the numerous writings 

 in the agricultural and horticultural Press, and the recent 

 suggestion that our Board of Agriculture should "establish 

 a Bureau of Ornithology, such as has long been at work 

 both on the Continent and in the United States" (Nature, 

 15th October 191 5, p. 177). Further, the subject is one of 

 such great importance to all who are interested in the 

 products of the land that I need offer no apology for 

 introducing it before the members of this Society. 



As one who has devoted considerable time and means 

 to the subject during the past twelve years, I claim your 

 attention to a rapid survey of the many problems it presents, 

 and its very important bearings on mankind. 



The problem is no easy one, and the longer one works 

 at the subject the more complicated does it seem to be, 

 so that one can quite understand Professor Theobald stating 

 that it " is one that can be approached in so many different 

 ways that it is almost impossible to formulate any satis- 

 factory plan of treating this important matter." 



On the one hand there are those who would destroy 

 almost every species of wild bird we possess, whilst, on the 

 other hand, the enthusiastic bird-lover would take equally 

 stringent measures to preserve them, exclaiming, "We do 

 not protect birds solely because they are useful, but chiefly 



1 Reprinted from The Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, 

 vol. xlii , part i., by permission. 



