274 



SCIENCE PROGRESS 



Having now considered in some detail the nature of the 

 food of the pheasant, the red grouse, and the partridge, it 

 will be useful to summarise that of all three species, in order 

 that we may more precisely estimate the total injuries and 

 benefits. Such a summary gives us a total annual consumption 

 of 66' 5 per cent, of vegetable matter and 33*5 per cent, of 

 animal matter. Of the former, only 2*5 per cent, consists of 

 grain, 56 per cent, of leaves, fruits, and seeds of weeds, i*i per 

 cent, of roots, and 6*9 per cent, of miscellaneous vegetable 

 matter. Of the animal matter, 20*1 per cent, consists of in- 

 jurious insects, 17 per cent, of beneficial species, and 27 per 

 cent, of neutral species, 6'i per cent, of earthworms, and 2*9 

 of slugs. In short, 72*8 per cent, of the food is of a neutral 

 nature, 4'2 per cent, injurious, and 23 per cent, beneficial. 



Even if we omit any mention of the benefits, the injuries 

 inflicted by the feeding habits of these three game-birds are 

 scarcely worthy of mention as compared with their value as 

 food ; but when we take into account the 23 per cent, of in- 

 jurious insects and slugs, they cannot be regarded as other than 

 a direct benefit to agriculture, and a valuable source of home- 

 grown food. Moreover, it is interesting to note that efforts 

 have been made in other countries to preserve all game-birds, 

 and in not a few foreign species have been introduced in conse- 

 quence of their value to the agriculturist and as a source of 

 home-grown food. 



With the politics of game-bird preservation we have already 

 stated we are not here concerned, and we refuse in a study of 

 this kind to listen to the partisans of either one political faction 

 or the other ; but when so valuable an asset to agriculture and 

 the country in general is threatened, it is surely not beyond 

 the wit of man to so modify or amend the existing Game Laws 



