Manchester Memoirs, Vol. Ixvi. (192 1) 3 



must indeed be exploited for that other — Man. For this 

 reason (and, are we ashamed to say, for this reason only ?) 

 exists our Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, striving to 

 regulate the numerical proportions of certain creatures, and to 

 instil its doctrines into a rather slow and old-fashioned 

 constituency. 



So far so good ; since man has a right to keep his end up, 

 even though we class him as but a competing animal, he must 

 use all his arts and sciences, the product of his superior brain, 

 to accomplish his ends. I do not condemn him ; indeed I 

 strongly uphold, the study of economic zoology and botany, 

 and especially advocate that sensible assistance should be 

 given with this end in view to our schools and universities. 

 Unless we treat such delicate matters in a truly scientific 

 manner we shall land ourselves in a more parlous state than 

 we are at present. It is not to the academic mind that we need 

 to appeal, but to the great body of electors whose duty it is to 

 send as representatives men who will realise that science is 

 the driving power in life, and that science without education 

 is impossible. The economic argument may not be dis- 

 interested, but it is important, very important indeed. 



The second argument for protection is the Esthetic one, 

 and this, with a few exceptions, is confined to propaganda on 

 the subject of bird preservation. Bird protectors, both in 

 societies and Parliament, are largely backed bv the economic 

 issue, and many, who are influenced purely by esthetic 

 stimuli, make use of the economic argument ; for that they 

 know will appeal when their own desires fail to attract. The 

 bird protector, however, is fully alive to the value of the 

 aesthetic argument in certain circles, and gains much support 

 from the sympathy and purses of ladies and others who are 

 mainly concerned with " the poor, pretty little birds." From 

 the purely aesthetic side there is much to be said in favour of 

 maintaining all birds of bright plumage or pleasant voice, 

 and there is^ perhaps, nothing else which will combat that 

 depraved commercial spirit which fosters the pseudo-love of 

 the beautiful in the head-gear of unthinking woman — a 

 survival of barbarity. When it is a question of the plumage 

 trade use the aesthetic argument for all it is worth. 



The third argument, which may be called for want of a 

 more descriptive title, the Humanitarian argument, appeals 

 most strongly against the cruelty of destruction. There is 

 sound good sense in it, too, but it is often marred by a strange 

 lack of balance. Men and women who sicken at the sight of 

 pain in animals thev admire, will ruthlesslv inflict it upon 



