INTRODUCTION. xxvii 



appears to have been exterminated by this practice. 

 Still, the havoc wrought is immense, and all the more 

 deplorable as it affects the most beautiful species. 



The depredations of collectors on locally rare species 

 can be easily checked by making the destruction of 

 all birds illegal, except such species as may be found 

 to be locally too numerous and destructive. Such 

 measures have been proposed, but some so-called 

 ornithologists will, no doubt, be found to be in opposition, 

 for although they are against the killing of birds by 

 others, yet they reserve to themselves the right of 

 kilHng as many as they please ; and now that it is the 

 fashion to collect large numbers of specimens to ex- 

 emplify local variation, and to take the whole batch 

 of eggs out of a nest, an ignorant ornithologist may do 

 a considerable amount of harm in studying what he 

 mistakenly thinks is science. 



As a matter of fact, it is a far more scientific pro- 

 ceeding to study birds in life, and if a rare visitor, or 

 casual variety, be spared, and given a chance to breed, 

 there is some chance of recording scientific facts of 

 really wide interest. The claim that all rare visitants 

 have " gone astray in migration " and " would never 

 remain to breed " is a mistaken one, since some birds 

 are even now known to be extending their range, and 

 some must have continually been so doing through all 

 past ages. 



In this connection the importance of the study of 

 living birds in captivity deserves mention, as many 

 important facts have been ascertained thereby, and a 

 great many more might be added. Birds are usually 

 best kept in aviaries, but most will thrive well even in 

 cages if given plenty of space, kept scrupulously clean, 

 and well fed. The feeding of seed-eaters and carnivorous 

 birds with their natural food is easy, and fruit-eaters will 

 readily accept cooked vegetables and boiled rice, bread 

 and milk, etc., as a substitute for fruit ; but insect- 



