PAPERS OX BIOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE 69 



their collection may well be prohibited entirely. Unlike 

 the flowers, their attractiveness departs with their col- 

 lection. Moreover, gifted with movement, they can move 

 out of harm's way and are less easily exterminated. 

 Every person induced to cease hunting them gives them 

 that much more chance of surviving, but with plants, so 

 long as'there is a single person collecting, all are in dan- 

 ger. It is also easier to make sentiment in favor of bird 

 protection because birds are known to be helpful as well 

 as attractive in other ways. Birds may even be tolerated 

 among our crops and attracted in various ways to fre- 

 quent and nest in our grounds. 



It may be doubted whether it is wise to prevent or even 

 to discourage all picking of flowers. They appeal to the 

 better natures of everybody, and children especially are 

 not content to admire but must acquire as well. Child- 

 hood forbidden to gather flowers would be a sorry spec- 

 tacle. All our traditions are in favor of making use of 

 the flowers. Man wore flowers long before he wore 

 clothes, and he still takes pleasure in decorating his 

 grounds, his residence and himself with them. The use 

 of plants in garlands and coronels has been a custom 

 for so long that this is embodied in the common names 

 that wercin existence long before scientific names were 

 thought of. We still make use of a wealth of flowers on 

 all festive occasions, and with them we also attempt to 

 cheer the sick or soften the grief of those whose friends 

 have passed on to more flowery fields. Every city and 

 hamlet has one or more shops wherein are sold flowers 

 only. In view of all this we cannot reasonably ask the 

 lover of flowers to cease picking them entirely. There is 

 a pleasure in the pursuit of any thing that comes only 

 with possession. Does anybody imagine that the hunt- 

 ing and fishing that still go on in settled communities 

 is inspired by the need of food? Far from it. The 

 spoils brought home by the hunter or fisher are simply 

 the trophies that speak of his success. They are con- 

 crete evidences of his prowess. And shall we deny the 

 child, the poet and other flower-lovers their evidences 

 of success? Why, even the birds gather flowers! The 

 martins delight to deck their nesting sites with peach- 



