128 The necessity of State action for protection of wild birds.


wrong as those who favour all-round destruction, and the State that

listens to either side or allows such extravagant views to weigh in

their deliberations is amassing troubles for the immediate future.


Only after a long and careful study can we arrive at a

satisfactory conclusion. Experience shows that it is possible to

learn with considerable precision the percentage of the different

kinds of food. Let us take the case of the Skylark. This bird

requires about six pounds of food per year, “ so that 10,000 birds

would require about 27 tons of food in a year.” As we now know

the percentages of food eaten by this species we can analyse this

figure. Of the total food consumed in a year 35 - 5 per cent, consists

of injurious insects, 3-5 per cent, of neutral insects, 2 - 5 per cent, of

beneficial insects, 95 per cent, of grain, 1-0 per cent, of leaves,

2 - 0 per cent, of earthworms, 1-0 per cent, of slugs, 1‘5 per cent, of

miscellaneous animal matter, and 43 per cent, of the seeds of weeds.

In other words, 36-5 per cent, of the food eaten is of benefit to the

farmer, 505 per cent, is of a neutral nature, and only 13 per cent,

injurious. Thus we have a debit and credit account: on the former

side we place the loss of 21 tons of cereals, and on the latter

something like 30,000,000 injurious insects and 30,000 slugs. Such,

a plague of insects left to themselves would have destroyed many

more tons of cereals, root crops, etc. Thus the farmer is undoubtedly

the gainer by an enormous tonnage of produce.


The indiscriminate destruction of wild birds has led to serious-

insect plagues in many countries, so that any repressive measures

must only he the outcome of very careful consideration founded upon

long and accurate investigations such as the above.


To provide against extermination, State reservations as places

of refuge are necessary. Other countries have found such to be

profitable investments apart from protecting certain species of

birds.


The education of all who are connected with the land is

another most important avenue for State activities if we are going

to secure to generations yet unborn their birthright.


The subject of bird protection is an exceedingly wide one and

worthy of the attention of every enlightened community. “ The

food relations of birds are so complicated and have such a far-reaching



