EXOTIC BIRDS FOR BRITAIN 191 



shade tree in a park or public garden — but who 

 excuse their action by saying that such birds must 

 eventually get shot, and that those who first see 

 them might as well have the benefit. The presence 

 of even a small number of exotic species in our 

 woods and groves would no doubt give rise to 

 a better condition of things; it would attract 

 public attention to the subject; for the birds that 

 delight us with their beauty and melody should 

 be for the public, and not for the few barbarians 

 engaged in exterminating them; and the "col- 

 lector" would find it best to abandon his evil 

 practices when it once began to be generally 

 asked, if we can spare the rare, lovely birds 

 brought hither at great expense from China or 

 Patagonia, can we not also spare our own king- 

 fisher, and the golden oriole, and the hoopoe, that 

 comes to us annually from Africa to breed, but 

 is not permitted to breed, and many other equally 

 beautiful and interesting species? 



