THE TEMPLES OF THE HILLS 277 



the \vorkshop of the world, have preserved for us so 

 much of Nature's freshness. Doubtless they did it 

 for their own advantage and pleasure, but incidentally 

 the good was for all. 



A young American naturalist, writing to me some 

 time ago, contrasted the state of things with regard 

 to the preservation of wild life in his and this country. 

 There, he said, the universal rage for destroying all 

 the noblest and most interesting species, and the liberty 

 possessed by every man and boy to go where he likes 

 and do what he likes in utter disregard of penal laws, 

 was everywhere producing a most deplorable effect. 

 Whereas in this happier land, the great entailed estates 

 of our old county families and aristocracy were like 

 bulwarks to arrest the devastating and vulgarising 

 forces, and had served to preserve our native fauna. 



He spoke without sufficient knowledge, describing 

 a condition of things which existed formerly, even 

 down to about the thirties or forties of the 'nineteenth 

 century. Then a change came over the spirit of the 

 landowner's dreams ; a new fashion in sport had 

 arisen, and from that time onwards those who had 

 been, indirectly, the preservers of our country's wild 

 life became its systematic destroyers. For the sake 

 of a big head of game, a big shoot in November, the 

 birds being mainly hand-reared semi-domestic phea- 

 sants driven to the guns, they decreed the complete 

 extirpation of our noblest native species : 



The birds, great Nature's happy commoners, 

 That haunt in woods : 



