NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



All they ask is protection. Then, why not be up 

 and doing ? It is not enough that we individually 

 refrain from persecuting the birds. We must combine 

 and protect these valuable helpers from molestation 

 by ignorant, irresponsible, and morally degenerate 

 folk. 



Before raising his hand in anger against any bird, 

 the fruit grower should ponder well, lest by the removal 

 of one evil he brings a greater upon himself. Some 

 species of birds supplement a large insect diet by a 

 little fruit, or devour it only in times of drought 

 when no water is available ; others peck the seeds 

 from fruit already partly eaten by true fruit-eating 

 birds or beetles ; others, again, attack maggoty fruit 

 and feed on the maggots, fruit flies, and beetles, and 

 not the fruit. Some birds peck off buds now and then, 

 but no species of South African bird is, so far, guilty 

 of this crime to any very serious extent. When the 

 English house sparrow (Passer domesticus) increases 

 abnormally, it does considerable damage to budding 

 fruit trees, and at times it becomes necessary for man 

 to considerably reduce the numbers of this rapidly 

 breeding bird owing to its natural enemies having 

 been practically exterminated in Great Britain. 



A man who grows fruit as a hobby, or who is backed 

 up by large capital, may possibly ward off the attacks 

 of insects to a limited extent by artificial means ; but, 

 nevertheless, he has no moral right to use his influence 

 to deprive the poorer class of fruit growers of their 

 only ally, the birds. 



Buckland mentions an instance of man's hasty 



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