NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



nestling and adult birds. Instead of destroying the 

 surplus kittens at birth, they are frequently allowed 

 to live and are subsequently given away to promiscuous 

 people, or permitted to run wild. If the former be 

 their fate they are invariably neglected, ill-used, and 

 starved. If the latter, they gain a livelihood by 

 preying largely upon wild birds. 



A Bird Protection Act and an Act forbidding the 

 importation and exportation of the skins or feathers 

 of wild birds are essential in order to deal effectively 

 with those who are not amenable to moral suasion. 



The kernel of the evil is want of knowledge as 

 to birds, their habits and economic value. 



The conservation of the native birds is of vital 

 importance to the country — how vital few, other than 

 ornithologists, realise. Educate the school children, 

 and in a generation the problem will be solved and for 

 all time, for the children of to-day are to be the parents 

 of to-morrow. Parents possessing this special know- 

 ledge can be trusted to hand it on to their children. 



It is not necessary to interfere with the present 

 curriculum of the schools. It is eminently desirable 

 that school children be taught the natural history of 

 their country, with special reference to its economic 

 side. This could come under the heading of Nature 

 Study. 



The public museums could be made of much greater 

 value in this respect by having economic series of 

 exhibits with explanatory labels. 



It could be made a duty of the curator or a com- 

 petent member of the staff to make periodic tours and 



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