BIRDS AND HUMAN PROGRESS 



starvation. As the population increases in numbers, 

 the struggle for existence becomes increasingly keen. 

 Men can no longer.afford to live more or less in a state 

 of Nature ; or, to use a South African term, " Sit on the 

 stoep and watch the wool growing on the sheep." 

 Competition rouses him. He finds he must progress 

 or be submerged and perish off the face of the earth. 

 Knowledge gives him power over the forces of Nature. 

 He who sits at home while a plague is sweeping off 

 his cattle is not the kind of man who will make any 

 headway to-day. An ever-increasing population can 

 only be sustained and maintained by taking advantage 

 to the full of every discovery of science. Too much 

 money cannot be spent on educating the people and 

 in helping scientific institutions. Education and 

 human advancement go hand in hand. Every useful 

 discovery should be taken full advantage of. We 

 have, for instance, only lately discovered that we 

 have in the bird tribe an asset of the highest possible 

 value. We know that if wild birds are carefully 

 safeguarded they will not only make our struggle for 

 existence much easier, but by their aid our race will 

 be enabled to multiply on the face of the land. 



If it were not for the damage inflicted upon us by 

 insects and their kindred, we could produce at least 

 twice as much food. Not only this, but much of 

 the money, time, and energy expended at present in 

 warring on insects could be turned into other channels. 



If there was a vast forest of magnificent trees, and 

 ignorant men were allowed to fell the trees merely for 

 the sake of gathering the flowers or berries on them, 



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