14X lUltDS. 



iind .solely l)eruuse the facts in the case seem to support 

 them. 



A irreat deal of sentimentalism in rei>iird to the heaiiti- 

 ful piumaue and the sweet soniis of the hirds has heen 

 written and most pathetic a})[)eals lia\c heen hased there- 

 upon to induce ])eo])le to cease their molestations. This 

 is all well in its |)lace. Certainly no woids can descrihe 

 too vi\idly the ex(|uisite softness of coloriiiL;, the ele- 

 i:ance and iinu-efulness of form, or llic mcKxlionsness of 

 souLj of very many of oui' hirds : Longfellow's "Birds of 

 Killiniiworth" is a picture as true as it is poetical, hut 

 sentiment, however well expressed, cannot stand against 

 real or apparent self interest and is not a firm euouu'h 

 foundation for a plain, soher argument and in a paper 

 intended not to amuse hut t(» })resent simple facts in 

 their clearest liuht there is no place for such things. Not 

 to the s\inpath\', nor to the love of the heauliful, l)Ul to 

 the judL^emeiit and comuHtu sense is the appeal here 

 made. 



It is not at all unlikely that many who will see the 

 statements just presented will recall more than one oh- 

 servation of their own that seems to conflict directly with 

 them, ^^'hile in no \\a\ intendin;:' to declare such ol)ser- 

 vations incorrect I would yet remind you that they may 

 not he wholly conclusive. W hat has heen uiven as fact 

 is the result, not of i)assini:' ohservaticjus, hut of eai-cful 

 investigation. \'ery naturally nothing makes one moi'c 

 sure of the truth of aiivthinu' than the fact that he has 

 seen it with his (jwn eyes. But unfortunately it is not 

 everv i)air of eves that sees what is jioiuii' on with scien- 

 titic accuracy and in not a few of nature's operations ap- 

 pearances are very deceptive and so the inferences drawn 

 from them nmst he erroneous. Many an one looks merely 

 at the surface of thini^s, imagines that he has seen all 

 there is and acting accordingly most resolutely maintains 

 that he is guided l)y the teachings of nature. lie may 

 see a woodpecker drilling into a tree and infers that it is 



