108 



Bird Notes and News 



THE FARMER AND THE BIRDS. 



The want of knowledge which so generally 

 exists as to the nature of the Bird-Protection 

 laws is displayed most by those who attack 

 them. A recent article in a leading agricul- 

 tural journal illustrates this. The writer 

 cries out that the Acts were " passed by 

 townspeople," and instigated by persons 

 who considered only their own pleasure in 

 seeing and hearing birds " during their 

 occasional visits to the country " ; that they 

 have led to such an increase of mischievous 

 birds that farmers and the country are 

 being ruined, and that it is time the farmer 

 was given freedom " to deal with the pest 

 in any way he sees fit." 



Now, the facts are (1) that the Acts were 

 passed by the same Parliament which is 

 responsible for every other law ; (2) that 

 the Act of 1880 was "instigated" by Sir 

 John Lubbock, Sir James Howard, Mr. 

 Dillwyn, and Sir H. Selwin Ibbotson ; 

 (3) that the Acts of 1894 and 1896 depend 

 for their working and for the birds protected 

 under them entirely on elected local admin- 

 istrative bodies. Further (4) that so far 

 as Acts of Parliament are concerned, the 

 farmer is absolutely free to deal with the 

 birds of which complaint is made. 



The article proceeds to make the curious 



admission that the damage to crops of 

 which he complains is not due to an increase 

 of Sparrows; they are, he says, "practically 

 the only unprotected birds " ; but to an 

 increase of Linnets, Chaffinches, Starlings, 

 and Greenfinches — which he imagines are 

 protected. Yet the protection given to 

 the Sparrow is precisely the same, neither 

 more nor less, than that given to the species 

 named. It would seem that even agricultural 

 writers sometimes see what they are on the 

 look-out for, in order to square facts with 

 theories. The increase of certain birds is 

 clearly taken for granted because it is 

 supposed that they are protected. 



The Estates Gazette recently put the case 

 of farmers and birds more judicially : — 



" There is no more important national 

 question than the protection of agriculture, 

 and that involves the understanding of 

 nature's laws. The stoutest champion of 

 bird-life does injustice to his own common- 

 sense and injury to his cause by clamouring 

 for protection of all species under all cir- 

 cumstances. Farmers are entitled to their 

 protection, and their protection in some cases 

 involves the destruction of the birds. But is 

 there always reason for much of the destruc- 

 tion that goes forward under the sanction of 

 protection for seeds and crops ? If we only 

 made proper use of them, birds are one of 

 the most valuable national assets it is 

 possible to have." 



Bird-and-Tree (Arbor) Day. 



Unprecedented conditions have delayed 

 the sending in of Bird - and - Tree Essays 

 from a considerable number of Schools this 

 year. The customary abridged report on the 

 work done will appear in the Winter Number 

 of Bird Notes and News, and extended 

 County Reports will be forwarded as early 



as possible to the Teachers and Bird-and- 

 Tree Committees of competing Schools. 



The Norfolk Education Committee propose 

 to hold a Festival meeting at Norwich early 

 in October. The Essays were consequently 

 sent in earlier than usual, and the Shield 

 has been awarded to Great Dunham School. 



