on the value of bird life.



11



real—vital, indeed—yet, judging from much that we have read in the

press, and seen and heard, during the past four years of war, this

fact is not appreciated as it should be.


Every student of bird life must be filled with indignation at

much that has been going on—at the folly of allowing Plovers’ eggs

to be collected for the table, for example ; at the urging of children to

collect the eggs and to kill the young of “ Sparrows,” which in

practice means destroying many species of small birds of great use¬

fulness to the community ; in short, at the folly of thinking that

bird life is man’s enemy and not his friend. It was a true remark in

a recent number of this Magazine that “ the wild or native birds of

every country are there to benefit the farmers, the fruit-growers, and

the stock-breeders.”


While practically every bird is found to do more good than

harm, insectivorous birds should be protected very zealously. We

simply could not do without them ; gardening and farming would

soon become impossible. Bird life must be encouraged and

protected. Dr. C. Gordon Hewitt well says that “ birds are the

most powerful insecticides we have.” Too many folks are alive only

to the damage that some birds do ; they do not see the good the

birds are waging at all times and seasons.


The question has been well asked and answered: “ What

would be the state of our permanent pastures if there were no birds ? ”

“ In a few years thousands of acres would be bared by subterranean

insects. Were it not for Rook, Jackdaw, Starling, Plover and Gull, the

white grub, wire-worm, leather-jackets, etc., would increase in such

enormous numbers that the grass would be destroyed wholesale.”

This brings to mind those great winter flocks of birds which roam

across the pastures and arable land from autumn until spring—the

snowy Gulls like winter drifts upon the brown earth, the clamouring

Rooks and Daws darkening the grasslands, the flickering wings

of Lapwings innumerable where potatoes and turnips have

recently been lifted. Think of the vast amount of grubs

and insects destroyed by these birds in the course of a winter

season !


It has been proved that the destruction of Lapwings, Rooks

and Starlings had much to do with the recent plague of antler moth



