Bird Notes and News 



81 



THE DESTRUCTION OF 

 BIRDS. 



In connexion with recent publications 

 and recommendations of the Board of 

 Agriculture, a letter has been addressed by 

 the Society to War Agricultural Committees, 

 Agricultural Societies, Food-Production 

 Committees, Local Councils, and other 

 bodies, pointing out the grave effect likely 

 to result to the nation's food-supplies 

 through the unintelligent outcry against 

 bird-life, and offering free supplies of the 

 leaflet " Birds, Insects and Crojis." Citing 

 the words of the President of the Board 

 that " The wholesale destruction of birds 

 would be fatal," the letter states : 



" The danger of devastation by insect 

 plagues this year is peculiarly great on 

 account of (1) the turning up of so much 

 fresh soil ; (2) the shortage of hand labour 

 to deal with these pests, and expense of 

 chemical insecticides ; (3) the heavy toll 

 of resident insectivorous birds taken by the 

 long and severe winter. 



" On the other hand, widespread destruc- 

 tion of valuable birds is certain to follow 

 from (1) the ignorant zeal of new hands in 

 agriculture, who have no knowledge of the 

 work and value of insectivorous and vermin- 

 destroying species ; (2) the iU-considered 

 formation of so-called " Sparrow " Clubs 

 which, for want of proper safeguards and 

 regulations to restrict their operations, 

 cause heedless and indiscriminating slaughter 

 of insect-eatmg warblers, hedge-sparrows, 

 flycatchers, etc. 



" The Council of the Society especially 

 urge that any necessary reduction in the 

 numbers of house-sparrows shoidd be carried 

 out by properly authorised persons, who will 

 take nests and eggs from houses and other 

 buildings, where they most commonly occur ; 

 and that children be on no account allowed 

 to take part, since they ransack hedgerows 

 where house-sparrows do not nest, but 

 where useful insectivorous species build." 



A letter has also been addressed to all 

 County and Borough Education Committees 

 in England and Wales, protesting against 

 the suggestion that School children and 

 Teachers should take part in the work of 

 so-called " sparrow " clubs, and pointing 

 out that — 



1. The Sparrow Club is in many cases 

 a club for the indiscriminate destruction of 

 all small birds. The attention of the Home 

 Office has just been called hj this Society to 

 a Surrey club which promotes the killing of 

 all birds, v>ith. but four exceptions, through- 

 out the j-ear. In any case, children have 

 neither the knowledge nor the self-restraint 

 to stay their hands at the destruction of 

 one species. 



2. The proposal is a direct incentive to 

 that cruelty and destructiveness latent in 

 children which, during the progress of 

 civilization, Educationists and Teachers have 

 been tr3dng to eradicate. 



3. It is futile and mischievous for the 

 purposes for which it is suggested, since 

 children ransack hedgerows, where House- 

 Sparrows do not build. 



4. Such a proposal implies infringement 

 of the Bird Protection laws and the illegal 

 and dangerous use of air-guns and catapults. 



5. It is incredible that the time of 

 Teachers should be occupied in such a 

 task." 



The Council of the Society therefore 

 respectfully urged that what is emphatically 

 needed in schools is not encouragement to 

 boys and girls to destroy birds, nestlings, and 

 eggs, but instruct on a- to the work and 

 value of Insectivorous Birds, upon which 

 the country depends for the preservation 

 of crops of every kind from disastrous 

 plagues of insects. 



Letters have been sent likewise to all the 

 principal newspapers of the country ; and 

 cordial thanks must be offered to the 

 Editors of many leading journals who have 

 not only published these, but have added 

 notes and editorials in support of the 

 Society's plea, and given extensive extracts 

 from the leaflet ; to writers who have 

 contributed special articles to the Press ; 

 to a large number of the clergy and ministers 

 who have circulated the leaflet -with parish 



