CHAPTER XVI 



IN A HAMPSHIRE VILLAGE 



Rare species and private collectors — An old soldier — Moorhen — 

 A family of working folk — A talk with my landlady — Her 

 love of bird music — The story of her lost child. 



GOING further into Hampshire I was by-and- 

 by at a spot which cannot be named owing 

 to the fact that I was there in quest of a 

 rare and elusive little bird. For we who desire to 

 save our birds must keep the private collector in 

 mind; that injurious person who is ever anxious to 

 secure the very last British-killed specimens of any 

 rare species. And should a species be near its end — 

 in other words, should it be rare — then, says the 

 leader and lawgiver of all this rapacious gang, our 

 right and proper course is to finish it off as quickly 

 as may be, seeing that by so doing we furnish our 

 cabinets with a large number of specimens for the 

 benefits of science and of posterity. The law does not 

 protect our birds and country from these robbers; 

 they have too many respected representatives in 

 high places, on the benches of magistrates, in the 

 Houses of Parliament, and among important people 

 generally. For are they not robbers and of the very 

 worst description ? Those who break into our houses 

 to steal our gold steal trash in comparison; while 



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