SA 
Birds on the Western Front 
il ceaetccntnennntlemnson 
More than one article on bird-nesting at 
the front proved at least the undaunted 
keenness of our fighting egg-collectors (vide 
Country Life, 6.v.16; Ibis, vol. vi. 1918, 
etc.). It is, however, truly touching that in 
the midst of their life-and-death struggle 
our soldiers should have so often found re- 
laxation and comfort in studying and think- 
ing of Nature. I have repeatedly heard that, 
when in billets, our men were only too glad 
to forget the horrors of war in comparing 
notes on birds. The extreme anxiety which 
was shown by our soldiers over these morsels 
of life was surprising, seeing that they had 
set the value of their own at nothing, as 
things were( Daily News and Leader, 22 .iv .16). 
That the War was not all brutal was proved 
by many acts of Christian charity as well as 
by numerous kindly actions towards birds. 
On one occasion an officer of a London regi- 
ment stood for half an hour beside a PLOVER’S 
nest to prevent the eggs being damaged by 
the troops who were passing the spot (Daily 
Sketch, 17.vi.16). A soldier, conducting a 
war correspondent round our lines, told him: 
133 
