Correspondence



73



outcome of any emotion felt in the human heart. But it is,

nevertheless, akin to something that strives within us for utterance”.

Of the Willow Wren’s song, “ the low, sweet phrase betokened some

exquisite sentiment beyond description, but which I almost believed

that sympathy enabled me to understand.” And of the Dipper,

“ Even when the blast is bitter as the breath of death, the stream

still sings among the pebbles by the ford. Perhaps, while seeking his

food beneath the surface of the water, the Dipper had heard the secret

of perpetual happiness whispered by the spirit of the brook—as perhaps

the Wren had often heard it whispered by the spirit of the wind through

the patter of the hail on the withered oak-leaves in the hawthorn

hedge—and for that reason is wholly undismayed. The song of the

Wren is, somehow, in keeping with that of the wind, and the song of

the Dipper with that of the waterfall.”


The brief quotations given are evidence of the intense love which

the author had in his heart for wild life. We commend the book to all

lovers of the wilds.


James J. Cash.



THE SOCIETY AND NEW ZEALAND BIRDS


Dear Dr. Renshaw, —Your idea of getting birds from New Zealand

is excellent, but I am afraid there are several difficulties. The man to

bring back birds would need to be a pushing business man, capable of

dealing with all sorts of difficulties, not only in the way of obtaining

the birds, but in getting them from various places down to the

port and dealing with railway and other unsympathetic people. I know

what getting birds means, because I have got many at various times

from Iceland.


However, I think that whereas it is most essential that rare birds

should be kept from senseless destruction by plumage hunters or dry-

as-dust collectors, yet that the Avicultural Society of the old country

should have licence to import birds for the benefit of Members, and this

argument might be backed up by a statement that the Empire in this

respect should be regarded as one, and that New Zealand birds would



