AT 
Brighton is a country village, as the unique appearance of some of the 
warbler and bunting tribe in this neighbourhood shewed. Brighton 
was still to the birds the hill-side villaze of landing, with its easy 
approach to the Downs, and forest beyond. The higher bleaker shores 
of Kent from North to South Foreland were comparatively bave of 
migrational life. Where else in the world would they find a great city 
on the sea, where the nightingales, as at Brighton, April 13th, 1872, 
were swarming under the bathing machines along the whole 
length of the shore? In no age had birds been more idolised 
than in ours; every periodical shewed that they were in special 
favour : yet it was often the mock homage which killed its object. 
Those whom the gods and goddesses love die so young! It was 
sorrowiul to see the noble birds of England, some of which had 
traversed 4,000 miles faithfully to re-visit their old nooks, wantonly, 
childishly massacred, to embellish a shop-front or a Christmas tree, 
or to adorn a lady’s locks. Finally he pleaded for the Selborne 
Society—the object of which was to save the life of rare birds and 
plants, and the accessories of pleasant country life, footpaths and lanes 
and commons where the poor of the towns, after the day’s work, 
might have their park close at hand, as the rich man had his broad 
acres ;and to foster in public schools, of rich and poor alike, the 
humane study of Natuve and reverence for all forms of God’s great 
_ life, as a civilising and ennobling agent. 
