OUK NATIXI-: lilKDS. 369 



toads, and otlu'i- rcptik'^, l)in tlicir arcli-encnu' — tlu- u>i- which 

 kcci)s them in check — i.s our feathered ally, the birrl. Destroy 

 the birds and all the other foes of insects could not prevent them 

 from carrying all before them 1)\- sheer force of numbers. 



\\'h\- are birds indis])ensal)le allies in i^ur (lc>i)erale efforts 

 to stem the advance of the inst'ct ilun-? liccause the food of 

 tile vast majority consists of insects, and tlie seed-eatin;"^ species, 

 with but few exceptions, iced their xoun^ solelv on an insect 

 diet. 



Is it then a matter for wonder that outraged nattirc scotir^^es 

 us so severely? We deser\ e it surelv' There are sins of omis-- 

 sion and commis'^ion — botli ai"e c(|tiall\- far-reachin;.;- in their re- 

 sults. 



We are'hy])notised b\- the belief that it is necessary to have 

 *iur children's mind tilled with what mi^^ht be termed " the ballast 

 of the afjes," in order that thcA' may seemingly pt)ssess .some little 

 veneer of hot-house so-called culture. There is no time left in 

 the children's lives, or no desire on the ])art of the parents to have 

 them tauiSiht those thing's which are necessary for them to develop 

 into useful and progressive citizens of the State, and to enable 

 them to i^ilot their way throttgh life with the minimum of mishaps 

 and disasters. To study natttre is to study the works of (lod. It 

 is eminently iM"actical in e\ery sense of the Avord, and is also S. 

 powerfttl factor in the awakening of the moral and s])irittial 

 nature of n->an. 



Why have so many of the htiman race degenerated into mere 

 money-making machines, with inter\als of leisure for the gratifi- 

 cation of their animal i^assions and desires? Chiefly because their 

 minds have never been awakened to a realisation of the fairyland 

 around them opened u]) by a study of Natural History. 



What is si)ort to man is often death or persecution to some 

 creature which, more likel\- than, not, is a valuable alh', but he 

 knows it not. Since the invention of the gun. man has been 

 engaged ttpon the deliberate and wanton u])setting of the balance 

 of nattn-e. He ventttres where angels fear to tread, not because 

 of his bravery, but by reason of his want of knowledge. Know- 

 ing no better, he allows his children indiscriminately to maim and 

 kill the wild birds and rob their nests. He hands down to theni 

 errcMieous, mischievous and harmful beliefs in regard to the sub- 

 human inhabitants of veld, motrntain.. forest and stream, which 

 results in the persectttion (tf the creatin^es which are heli)ing hitn 

 in his battle for life. 



For instance, it is popularly believed that the harmless little 

 (ieko Lizard is venomous. The restilt is. this highly tiseful 

 insect-eater is killed at sight. So mtich for the wisdom of man. 



Conversing with a ladv school teacher from an up-country 

 dorp. I expressed regret at the iM'o found ignorance of Colonial 

 children on the ways and habits of the wild creatiu'es of this 

 country. She admitted the fad. but was eager to inform me 

 she encouraged the boys in the school to learn Natural History. 

 " One boy." she declared, " had made a wonderful collection of 



