NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



mighty host as a child in his efforts to stem the advance 

 of an avalanche. Without the help of birds man would 

 quickly perish, and Earth would know him no more. 

 Yet this vital truth is not taught to school children. 

 They go forth from the schools and, knowing no better, 

 great numbers of them employ much of their time in set- 

 ting back the clock of human progress and expansion. 



" I saw with open eyes 

 Singing birds sweet, 

 Sold in the shops 

 For people to eat ; 

 Sold in the shops of 

 Stupidity Street. 



" I saw in vision 

 The worm in the wheat, 

 And in the shops nothing 

 For people to eat ; 

 Nothing for sale in 

 Stupidity Street." 



Ralph Hodgson. 



Partridges are magnificent conservators of pasture 

 lands. When overabundant in the vicinity of culti- 

 vated lands, partridges are apt to do a certain amount 

 of damage. If the farmer, after due consideration, 

 considers they are doing more harm than good, he can 

 easily reduce their numbers. He should bear in mind, 

 however, that they are warring all the time on insect 

 pests, and that if these insects were allowed to breed 

 unchecked by the partridges, they would very likely 

 do his crop 50 per cent, more damage than the birds. 

 Insects may be compared to weeds in a garden. If 



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