Utility and Egenomy of Birds 
and from the farmer’s point of view. So 
far from authorising the destruction of birds 
in wartime, the authorities should have 
given them the benefit of extra protection. 
Thousands of acres of common and other 
open land, where LARKs and many other in- 
sectivorous birds were wont to live, were 
turned into camps and parade-grounds only 
to be trodden down by men and horses. 
Thousands of acres of wood and coppice were 
felled throughout the country in the attempt 
to meet the demand for timber. These re- 
sults of the war have had a far-reaching effect 
on our bird population. A French ornitholo- 
gist has stated that France, when the Germans 
have ceased to harry the land, will have 
pressing need of all her bird-life to fight the 
insect invaders and ravagers of her fields; 
in our own country the need is the same, 
though less tragically important (Bird Notes 
and News, vol. vi. p. 92). 
Perhaps the greatest outburst against birds 
in general was early in 1917, when it was 
urged that ‘‘ shoot the birds ’’ should be the 
clarion cry (Daily Mail, 4.1.17). The forma- 
32 
