NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



give lantern lectures to the various schools. There 

 need be no overlapping if a list of the schools to be 

 visited is furnished to every museum authority. 



The subsidy which it would be necessary to grant 

 each museum for this work would be a mere trifle — 

 a drop from an ocean in comparison to the economic 

 value of the work to the State. If a thorough 

 systematic educational campaign was launched, and 

 this one subject alone taught, viz., the economic value 

 of native birds, South Africa would, within ten years, 

 be richer by at least a million sterling everv vear. 



Silently and unseen the insect hosts are taking a 

 heavy toll of the fruits of man's industry. The locusts 

 are an example. By reason of their size and habit of 

 congregating in great swarms they attract special 

 attention. If we slackened in our defensive and 

 offensive thev would, in a season, easily cause loss 

 to the country of half a million sterling. 



The destructive grasshoppers are a hundred times 

 more abundant than the migratory locusts, even when 

 the latter are at their worst, yet because they are 

 scattered broadcast throughout the land and do not 

 congregate like the locust in great swarms, the ravages 

 they commit are not noticed ; and instead of warring 

 on them, we turn our weapons on the birds which 

 God has given us to keep them in check. 



As the birds increase in numbers, so will the 

 grasshoppers and other plant destroyers decrease. 

 Then in God's name why not take practical measures 

 to increase the natural enemies of these foes of the 

 human race ? 



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